Like Hero, Like Villain
by dbot
Summary: The Mushroom Kingdom should've have a time of celebration when it would've had its first king in years, but when a horrible tragedy befalls upon the Koopa Troop, the entire kingdom is plunged into a devastating war that Mario might not be able to stop to save his people. (Warning: contains dark themes and violence.)
1. Chapter 1: The Proposal of the Century

_Hello! Dbot here! Thank you for considering my story! This is my first fanfiction story, so here's a quick warning before you dive in: the game 'Super Mario Odyssey' is required to fully understand the story, as spoilers are included._

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Disclaimer: All characters, settings, and objects used in this story belongs to Nintendo. I have no rights to any of it except for the plot.

Like Hero, Like Villain

Chapter 1: The Proposal of the Century

**Mushroom Plains**

Peach glanced around as she and Mario walked through Toad Town, glancing at all the Toads going among their everyday lives, be it running a store or watering a garden. The sun rose in the sky, giving off bright colors of yellows and oranges that made the flowers in the town glow. They walked through Town Square pass the fountain and ended up in the plains, where species like Goombas and Koopa Troopas lived. Lush green grass stretched for miles, covering the vast land with different forms of wildlife and plants. A couple of months have passed since Mario and his new companion, Cappy, stopped a forced marriage against Peach and Bowser, traveling through many kingdoms and even landing on the moon. During that time, a relationship between her and Mario kindled after the incident. She sighed as she looked at the sunrise. "It's always nice to get out of the castle for a change," she said, stretching her arms. She glanced at Mario. "It sure is beautiful, isn't it?"

Mario smiled and nodded. "It sure is. Makes me appreciate the real beauty of this world." He glanced at Peach. "We sure haven't seen Bowser in a while, haven't we?"

Peach nodded. "Yeah, maybe that's a good thing. We could use a break after what happened when he tried to force me to marry him. We even landed on the moon for crying out loud!"

Mario laughed. "Yeah, he sure is persistent, isn't he? Cause I mean, why try using the same strategy thinking that you're going to win, but ending up losing?"

"Because, if I keep trying, then I might one day succeed!" a deep voice growled. Mario and Peach turned around. Bowser glared at them in his Koopa Clown Car.

The plumber rolled his eyes. "When do you ever give up?! We're getting tired of seeing your face around here! Peach and I want some peace and quiet, so leave us alone!"

Bowser scoffed mockingly. "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't realize I was interrupting a love fest between two love birds. Well, guess what? I'm not going anywhere until I have the princess and make her mine!" He extended a claw to try to grab the princess, but Mario pulled out his hammer he had laying next to him and whacked the claw back. It flew into the clown car. The car jittered, but Bowser kept his balance.

The plumber snorted at the Koopa King's attempt. "You know, you've become very predictable. No wonder you've become so easy to defeat. Not a good thing for a bad adversary." He glanced at Peach. "Get out of here. I'll take care of this little skirmish." The princess nodded and ran back to her castle.

Bowser growled. "I'll make you eat those words!" He launched many fireballs which the plumber easily dodged. He threw his hammer at the koopa car, denting it and causing it to malfunction as it made beeping noises. He jumped up and knocked Bowser out of the car, which sent him flying to the ground. The koopa grunted as he landed and stood up. He charged at Mario, swinging his claw and tail, trying to land a blow on the plumber, but the plumber jumped over him and kicking the koopa in the back, which sent him sprawling. Bowser turned and ran at the plumber, ramming into him as Mario grunted as he rolled along the ground, dropping his hammer as it rolled away from him. Desperate, Mario looked for his hammer before Bowser pinned him. "You say I'm a bad adversary," he scoffed, "And here I am, on top of you. After you're dead, I will kidnap Peach and marry her and you won't be there to save her!" He laughed maniacally. With Bowser distracted, Mario stretched his arm, trying to grab the hammer that was a few feet away from him. He grasped it as Bowser lifted his claws in the air, ready to strike, He swung his hammer and whacked Bowser back in the eye, causing him to clutch it in pain. Mario got on his feet and swept Bowser off his feet with his legs before grabbing his tail and swinging him around, throwing him at his clown car. Bowser crashed straight into it. It broke into pieces upon impact and Bowser rolled along the ground, exhausted from the fight.

Mario stood over him. "Pathetic," he scoffed. "Don't show your face around here ever again." He walked away with Bowser growled to himself on the ground.

Mario and Peach arrived back at the castle. When the doors swung open, Toadsworth rushed out with his arms open. "Thank the heavens!" he cried, hugging Peach. "I thought I was going to lose you forever!" She chuckled in response. He glanced at Mario and ran over to hug him. "Thank you again, Master Mario! You are forever in my debt!"

The plumber chuckled in response. "It's-a my pleasure."

"Now, come," Toadsworth urged, gesturing them to the castle. "Let's get inside and you must tell us how it went over a nice bowl of hot Mushroom Soup!"

Mario nodded as the three went into the castle with the doors closing from behind. "I will gladly do so."

**Meanwhile in Dark Land**

Dark gray clouds filled the sky as Bowser grumbled and knocked on the huge spiked doors of his giant castle, dragging his broken koopa clown car in hand. Having suffered another defeat at the hands of the plumber, his heart enraged with fire for revenge, like the heat and lava that surrounded his castle. Fumes of lava spewed as Podoboos jumped out of it, glaring at people with its slitted eyes. The doors swung open as Kamek flew to him on his broomstick, glancing at him with a cocked head. "Your Highness! You're back earlier than expected!" He paused. "And you don't have the princess, I take it."

"Took you long enough!" Bowser snapped, entering his castle as two Hammer Bros closed the doors. "Of course I don't have the stupid princess! And it's all because of that stupid Mario!" Kamek rolled his eyes as Bowser went into one of his 'Why I despise Mario' rants. "That stupid plumber beats me everytime and I'm sick of it! Now all I want to do is pound his stupid face in the dirt!" He stomped his foot in frustration, shaking the hallway as the tremors echoed. As the tremors stopped, they continued to walk down the dark, gray hallway that led to the door to his throne room. Along the hallway stood pictures of Bowser grinning nefariously with his arms crossed, looking dignified. Torches aligned the walls lit up the dark hallway, revealing gray and green stone tiles on the floor to match his color scheme. A red rug laid across the floor and went into the throne room. Red flags with his insignia hung on the gray walls. The throne room itself had statues of him near the arched windows.

As the throne room doors opened, his son, Bowser Jr., stood near the doorway, looking at him with a worried look on his face. He always knew when his father was in a bad mood and would always try to find ways to comfort him. "Dad," he said. "Are you OK?"

"Does it look I'm OK?!" Bowser Jr. winced at his father's tone. "Of course I'm not! I just suffered another defeat at the hands of that stupid plumber and I'm sick of losing! I keep trying again and again, sometimes using varied strategies, and I still lose! I even tried to force her to marry me on the moon for crying out loud and Mario still has to come to ruin my plans! Why can't I win a single thing for once in my life?! It's like a curse of eternal loss was bestowed on me by gods or something! I just don't understand why!" He got on his knees and slammed his fist on the stone floor, causing it to crack upon impact. "I just want to be with Peach," he murmured. "That's the only thing I want, but Mario keeps impeding my plans. I don't know if I can continue on." Tears flooded down his cheeks like a river as he wept. Bowser Jr. sighed. His father never really expressed his emotions, especially on a level like this; he usually keeps these kind of things to himself.

He sighed. "Come on, Dad! Don't quit now! You have to keep going! Just because Mario stopped you doesn't mean that you should just quit! You need to keep striving towards your goal! I know that we can make it!"

Bowser glared at him. "It's not easy as it looks. I've been trying to conquer that kingdom ever since I was a baby. I've been doing this all my life, and all I've been getting is nothing but pain and misery! Wait till you grow up and only then will you understand what I'm going through!"

Bowser Jr. growled, anger burning inside him. "You think just because I'm still a child that I don't have the slightest idea of what you've been through?! I'm your son! I very well know what your going through, but that doesn't mean you get to talk down to me like that! I'm only trying to encourage you to keep fighting!"

Bowser sighed, seeing the hurt in his son's eyes. "I'm sorry. It's just that having done this my whole life that the motivation to keep going grows dimmer every time Mario beats me. I just don't know what to do." His sobs filled the room as he continued to cry. Bowser Jr. sighed as he embraced his father with hugs. For someone as big and strong as Bowser, even he has his soft moments.

After watching the whole incident, Kamek flew to him. "Your Highness," he said, "Maybe you should take a few months off from villany and clear your head. Get Mario out of your mind. His constant presence is what's driving you down and you need to do away with him. If you do that, then you will be in much better shape. After that, you need to totally revise your plans because I have noticed something from you over the years. You keep using the same battle strategy, thinking you'll win every time, but in the end, you lose. So, if you want to take over the Mushroom Kingdom, you need to get rid of Mario and his friends. Once you have no resistance against you, only then will you be able to accomplish your goal."

Bowser looked at the magikoopa and smiled, grateful for having such a wonderful and wise advisor at his aid. "Your right. Maybe Mario haunting me is what's driving me to the ground." He stood up. "I'm going to take a nap. After I'm rejuvenated, then I'll start planning my next move, but I'm going to need your help, Kamek."

The magikoopa nodded. "You can count on me." The Koopa King smiled and went upstairs to his room.

Bowser Jr. smiled. "Thank you so much for helping my papa."

The magikoopa smiled back. "It's my pleasure."

**Peach's Castle**

The three walked into Peach's castle with their stomachs growling, hungry for food. Black and white tiles covered the floor alternating between them and a red carpet draped along the floor. Two sets of staircases arched upwards and led to a long hallway where the dining room was. They entered the room to find bowls of cream of mushroom soup laid out by Toad servants. Mario smiled as he chowed on the soup. It filled his mouth with the richness of the mushrooms and the cream, giving off a sweet and salty taste mixed with salt and pepper. As they ate the soup, Toadsworth glanced at Mario. "So," he said, "Now that we're eating, mind telling us how the battle went out?"

Mario nodded. "It-a began earlier this morning when Peach and I walked out to watch the sunrise. That was when Bowser arrived." He told how the events unfolded.

Toadsworth gasped in awe at Mario's story as Toad servants came to collect the food bowls. "Wow! That was quite the story! And Bowser never got the chance to bring the princess to his castle! Amazing!"

Peach nodded. "Mario, you definitely outdid yourself this time." She went over to kiss him, not on the cheek like usual, but on the lips.

After they shared the kiss, the old Toad glanced at them in wonder. "Now this is a first for me," he said, scratching his head. "When did this start happening?"

"A couple months ago," Peach replied, gazing into Mario's blue eyes. "After I was captured by Bowser, Mario and his hat friend saved me from a forced marriage between him and I. There was the moment when Mario confessed his love to me…"

**The Moon near Honeylune Ridge**

Mario, Peach, and Bowser tumbled as they landed on the moon. They rolled and came to a stop near the edge of a cliff. Mario shook his head as he stood up, looking at the Mushroom World from space. He looked at all the land and water that comprised the world very well since the moon was so close to it; all distinct features stood out from the huge desert from the Sand Kingdom in the east to Peach's Castle in the west. Behind him, Peach mumbled as she stood up and gazed at the world before the plumber stirred beside her. "Mario!" she cried, running to him and embracing him in a huge hug. "You're OK!"

He nodded. "Yeah, I'm-a OK. Luckily we escaped in time before the cavern collapsed or else we would've been pancaked by now." On his head, his hat transformed into Cappy again as he rushed to Peach.

"Where's Tiara?" he asked, fidgeting. "Please tell me she's OK!"

"I'm right here, big brother!" she replied, transforming in her normal form before rushing to him. "I'm OK! No bumps or bruises!" She hugged him. "Thank you for saving me!" she cried. "I thought I was a goner back there!"

"Now, now. Everything's OK. I'm just glad to know you're alright." She nodded.

Mario smiled at their reunion. He looked at Peach, who was still admiring the planet with

Bowser was still unconscious beside her. "It's so beautiful," she murmured. "In all my years of kidnapping who would've thought that I would be on the moon, gazing upon the very planet I Iive on. Who knew it is so vast and beautiful."

The plumber walked to her. "It sure is, but not as beautiful as you."

The princess gave him a surprised look. "You really think so?"

Mario nodded. "Yes. I just think its beauty doesn't compare to yours. It's clearly outmatched."

Peach blushed at his compliment and turned away. "Wow. I never knew you thought of me this way. I only thought of you as a friend. When did these feelings start happening?"

"This trip exactly," he admitted, scratching his head. "Throughout this whole experience, all I wanted was to be with you, but when I heard Bowser was going to forcefully marry you, I knew I had to put a stop to his plans. If he did succeed, then I wouldn't know what to do because, to be honest, you're my life, Peach. I realized that the first time I ever rescued you. I remember gazing in those blue eyes of yours for the first time and right then and there I knew that there was more to you than just running a kingdom and I want to explore and do more things with my life than just rescuing you." He got down on his knees and held out a white flower. Peach's eyes began to tear up.

Bowser, who regained consciousness, growled. He shoved him out of the way with a set of a piranha flowers in his hand. The plumber rolled along the ground. "What do you think you are doing?!" He scoffed. "_You're_ trying to propose to her now? You can forget that!" He glanced back at Peach, showing her the piranha flower bouquet. "Forget the stupid plumber," he said, glaring at him. "All he spouts are words of nonsense. He just wants to use you for the throne. Trust me, I won't in any way abuse you or the throne. All you have to do is marry me."

"Not on my watch, you're not!" Mario yelled, shoving him. He grunted as he rolled along the ground. "All you want to do is to conquer the Mushroom Kingdom! You don't even care for her or her safety! You don't-a even know what true love is!"

Bowser snorted. "What, and you do? I've been after her for many years. I have expressed my feelings for her. You say I don't know what true love means, but here you are, finally showing your feelings to her by proposing, which is stupid, I might add. I think it's obvious who's the third wheel of this group, and it's not me, that's for sure!" He turned back to Peach, whose face turned slightly red. "So, will you do the honors in marrying me?"

Before she could reply, Mario rammed into him. He turned to Peach. "Don't listen to him. He's trying to sway you towards his goal of world domination. You deserve to marry me, not the huge maniac."

"I'll show you who's more of a maniac!" Bowser snarled, running and shoving him out the way. Mario retaliated with a shove on his hips, which escalated to a fight between them pushing each other, both shoving their flowers in her face.

Peach could no longer contain her anger. "Enough!" she shouted. The two of them stopped fighting and glanced at her. "Look at both of you, fighting over me like I'm some sort of prize to both of you! You're so stupid!" She glared at Bowser. "I never wanted to be with you in the first place and I'll never marry you no matter how many times you try, so stop it already!" She glared at Mario. "And you! I just don't understand you! Here you are expressing your feelings to me, which I haven't fully comprehended yet, and when Bowser shows on the scene, you fight over me like you owe me when you don't! I don't even share those feelings for you, so stop it!" She stormed off towards the Odyssey when Mario grabbed her arm.

"I'm only trying to protect you," he growled. "I just don't-a want you being married to some jerk like him. I promise if you give me a chance, you will come to terms with your feelings for me."

"I don't need people like you telling me how to feel," she growled back. "I can look after myself just fine. One more thing, I'll decide when and who I'll marry, so that means that neither you nor Bowser have any authority to dictate my life choices." She marched into the Odyssey with the plumber trailed off behind her with a glum look.

One the ride back to the castle, Mario and Peach gazed down at the floor while Cappy and Tiara gazed around in awkward silence. Mario sighed. "Peach, I'm-a sorry."

"Are you, though?" Peach hissed. "From a guy who just admitted his feelings for me, which I haven't fully comprehended yet, I might add, you sure don't sound sorry for your actions."

The plumber sighed. "I know, but give me a chance to explain. Please, will you let me do that?" The princess sighed and nodded. "I did it because I love you. I know I have been hiding my feelings for all these years, but it's because I want to protect you. I was thinking that if I married you, then maybe Bowser will back off because the only way he wants to get the kingdom is through you."

Peach raised her eyes in disbelief. "Oh, so you think that by marrying me that Bowser will just go away? Don't give me that bull crap. You know very well that he's never going to go away, so why don't you just-"

"I also want to become king," Mario blurted out. Peach gave him a confused look. "I want to do more to serve the kingdom than rescue you. I want to set an example for the other people. You've inspired me, Peach, and I want to be more like you."

The princess smiled. "You really think so?" He nodded. "OK, I'll think about. I am still mad at you, so for right now, it's a maybe. Give about a month of space, unless Bowser kidnaps me again." Mario nodded.

**Peach's Castle: Present Day**

Toadsworth scratched his head when Peach finished her story. "Wow, that was quite a lot." He shook his head. "I am very disappointed in you, Master Mario, for treating Peach like that. I thought you were taught better."

Mario sighed. "I know. It's just that I wanted to protect her, but when Bowser interfered, I feared the worst, so I started to panic and I knew I had to make my move, even though it was very risky. I'm sorry."

"Well you should be."

"Toadsworth, don't be too hard on him," Peach said. "He knows very well of his wrong doings. And yes, at first I was still angry when Mario first proposed to me, but as the days passed, I thought that I'm going to need help running this kingdom. With each passing day it's getting harder to run this kingdom on my own, so I said yes and gave him a chance to prove his worth and now that we've been together for a couple of months now, I haven't regretted my decision yet."

Mario gulped and nodded. Yeah, and let's-a hope that I don't regret this decision, either." He cleared his throat. "Peach," he said softly, "I know this might seem a little sudden, but I know that I can't hold in my urgency any longer. Peach, if you agree, I want you in my life. I've been dreaming about you every night and the life we could have together." He got down on his knees and pulled out something from his pocket. Peach gasped as she saw what he was doing. He opened up a small pinkcase to reveal a small ring with a blue diamond on it. An engraving of her name could be seen in the middle next to a heart with the words, 'I love you' next to it. "Peach, will you marry me?"

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_Thank you for reading the first chapter. Here are a couple warnings as the story goes on: For this story, I have decided to diverge from the main canon, and as a result, this story will take on a much darker tone than what you see in the games. Therefore, there will be some dark themes mentioned and some characters will be out-of-character. I will post a chapter on a day I'm off per week, which will be Monday, the 23rd. Most of the chapters of this story have already been written, so editing is just left. I appreciate any constructive criticism in the comments to make future chapters better and I'll see you next week!_


	2. Chapter 2: Future Plans

_Welcome back to another chapter! Thank you to the people who viewed, followed, favorited, reviewed last chapter, and took an interest in my story! That means a lot to me! Now, onto the chapter!_

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Disclaimer: I don't own any Nintendo characters or settings except for the plot.

Chapter 2: Future Plans

A moment of silence filled the room as Peach thought about her answer. Mario gulped as his muscles shook, craving he didn't make the wrong decision. She jumped at Mario with her arms outstretched. "Oh my goodness, yes!" she squealed. Mario smiled and sighed with relief as he embraced her in a hug.

After the two celebrated for a couple moments, Toadsworth glared at them with his arms crossed. "What is going on here?! A couple minutes ago, I learned you two confessed your love to each other and now here's Mario all of a sudden proposing to you! This is happening so fast, my brain can't process it all!"

Peach laughed at the elderly Toad's response. "Easy there, Toadsworth! I know you might be worried, but don't Mario and I fully discussed the option of getting married if that's what I decided to do and he knows what's at stake."

Toadsworth glanced at the plumber, his face full of worry. "Are you sure you're up to this? If you commit to this, then you're going to become king! Are you sure you're up to that? I know that you have looked over this kingdom, but you will be taking a big step from commoner to royalty. Is that something you really want?"

Mario nodded. "Trust me. I have thought long and hard about this and I do want this. Honestly, I can't imagine my life without her. I know that my life will change a lot, but with Peach by my side, I firmly believe that I can make this work."

Toadsworth still didn't look convinced. "Fine. Say we go with this. If Bowser finds out about this, he might take advantage of this opportunity and stop the wedding from even commencing!"

Peach rolled her eyes. "I understand your concern, but trust me, this is going to work out. Bowser is never going to find out because we won't be inviting him in the first place and we'll be doing all our planning in secret and won't say a word about it when we're out in the open. Bowser will never know."

Toadsworth sighed and shook his head. "Fine. I'm only trying to look out for your well-being. If that's how you two feel, then I guess there isn't anything more I can say except be careful."

Peach sighed with relief that the conversation was now over before looking at Mario. "Does Luigi know about any of this?"

Mario sighed as he shook his head. "No, but I'm going to tell him right now, then I will start learning about how to run a kingdom while I'm at it." He walked out of the castle with the doors shut behind.

Peach glanced at Toadsworth as she fidgeted with her engagement ring. "Do you think I made the right decision to accept his proposal? I kinda feel like he's rushing into things head first and I'm a bit worried."

The elderly Toad sighed. "I also share the same feelings you have, but he seems fairly confident. Maybe, in time, you will feel the same confidence he does about him, but for now, teach him all the necessary knowledge there is to run this kingdom to him and if he keeps to your words, together, you two will succeed." The princess nodded. "Now if you excuse me," he croaked, stretching his back, "It's been a long and tiring day. I'm going to take a nap. If you need me, call me." Peach nodded as he walked up the stairs towards his room.

**Dark Land: Bowser Castle**

Bowser smiled as he curled in his blankets and laughed. "Ha! Take that, you stupid plumber! The princess is finally mine!" He continued to laugh when someone knocked on his door. He sighed and stretched his arms as he walked out of his bed. He walked out of his room and greeted Kamek with a smile, who stood outside his doorway. "Hello, Kamek," he said cheerfully. "Lovely day, isn't it?" A couple of his minions glanced in confusion, as seeing Bowser in this kind of mood was strange to them.

The magikoopa smiled. "Somebody's feeling better from his nap."

Bowser nodded. "I most certainly am. You were right. I did need an excellent nap and now I feel like my normal self again and ready to get back at Mario with a new set of plans."

Kamek smiled. "That's excellent. Now that you're back and ready for action, we need to put our heads to come up with a new plan to deal with Mario and his dingbat friends. I hope while you were resting you were thinking of at least something to combat them."

The Koopa King crossed his arms. "Did you really think that I was going to be strategizing in my sleep? Who does that, anyway?"

The magikoopa sighed. "OK, fine. Let's head downstairs and put our heads together to create a wonderful plan."

The meeting held in a special conference room next to the throne room where Bowser usually resides. Once they arrived, Bowser looked at Kamek. "Get everyone together," he said. Kamek nodded and left. Later, he returned with Bowser Jr. and his siblings. Once everyone was seated, Bowser began the meeting. "Now, I know you all are wondering why I called you all here. Well, if you don't know, then I'll give a brief summary. As you know, we have suffered many defeats in the past because of Mario and his friends and after a talk with Kamek, we have decided that we need a change of plans."

The magikoopa took over. "We all need to come up with a full-proof plan to get rid of them before we can make any stage of attack on the Mushroom Kingdom. The less opposition we have, the better off we'll be in the long run."

Ludwig von Koopa scratched his head. "Then why call us when you two can figure the plans out yourselves?" The others murmured in agreement.

Bowser Jr. groaned. "Yeah, Dad, do we have to be here? We were in the middle of a game! Meetings are boring!" The other Koopalings gave similar protests.

Bowser rolled his eyes. "Quiet!" Their voices died down. "Isn't it obvious? I need ideas from all of you because we are a team, and as a team, we need to work together on things like this because that's how we accomplish our goals. We have one goal: to get rid of Mario, and for that to happen, I'm going to need everyone's help." Everyone nodded and acknowledged his words. "So, who would like to start things?"

Kamek raised his hand. "I don't know, but maybe this might start generating ideas. How about we look at past battles and kidnappings and examine them to see if we can spot any common weaknesses." The others nodded.

Bowser shrugged. "I guess that's a start, so what would we do?"

Bowser Jr. spoke up first. "Well, usually all we do is you just kidnap Peach and hold her hostage while the rest of us just try to stop Mario in his tracks."

The Koopa King nodded. "Yeah, that about sums it up. So, from that, I can tell there are quite a lot of weaknesses with that plan. Firstly, I tend to go directly to Peach first before dealing with Mario and his friends because that just opens the door for them to come and ruin my day, so what I think I should do instead is go after them first before going after Peach." The others nodded in agreement.

"Lord Bowser," said Ludwig, "What and how are we going to capture them? We seem to be very predictable with our attacks. How are we going to change things up to catch them off guard?"

The Koopa King pondered on his question and shrugged. "I don't know. I haven't gotten that far yet."

Kamek stood up. "I might have an answer to that. How about we don't go after them for a while? Give them the impression that we suddenly gave up? That way, we can organize our resources and prepare for our attacks on Mario and his friends before proceeding."

Bowser smiled. "An excellent idea, Kamek. But in order for the surprise attack to work, we're going to need someone to spy on them and keep up-to-date on their activities so we know when to attack them when they aren't doing something Peach related."

The magikoopa nodded. "You make a good point. Besides, knowing what our enemy is doing can help prepare us for attacks in the future."

Wendy O. Koopa raised her hand. "That's great and all, but who's going to spy for us? We can't just go waltzing on their front doorstep, listening on their conversations. We need someone from their inner circle to work for us."

Bowser nodded. "Exactly, which is why I have a task for you Koopalings: you are to go and capture one of Mario's friends who will work for us. Make sure that it's someone that is close to him. If we can do this, we will have the advantage. Now leave." The Koopalings nodded and left the conference room. He then turned to Kamek and Bowser Jr. "We get the role of organizing the attacks. Now let's get started."

**Mario and Luigi's House**

Mario knocked on the door as he arrived at his and his brother's house. The plumber felt a little nervous about the whole ordeal because he knew that he was taking a huge step to become, but he had his doubts, but he knew that he wanted this, so he could use all the support he could get. After waiting a couple minutes, the door opened to reveal Luigi in the middle of eating pasta. "Bro!" he said, eating the rest of his garlic bread before hugging him. "I was beginning to worry you weren't going to show! Where have-a you been?!"

"At Peach's castle. I had to rescue her again. Then Toadsworth had me tell him how it all went down. It was a long visit."

"And now you must tell me," Luigi insisted. "I want to know everything that happened."

His brother sighed in response. "Fine. I wanted to-a talk to you, anyway. I have something important to share with you." Luigi, curious, followed him inside their house.

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After a couple hours of talking about everything that occured, Luigi gasped in shock about the surprising news. "Are you kidding me?!" he exclaimed. "Dude, this is wonderful news. Why in the world didn't inform me earlier that you were going to marry her? I could've started helping you plan the wedding in advance!"

Mario rolled his eyes. "Why do you think? It should be very obvious why and I have a couple reasons: I wanted to surprise you and I wasn't sure if Peach would accept me or not. But now that she said yes and you now know, I'm going to need your help with this."

Luigi crossed his arms, still annoyed. "Still, you should've told me. I won't-a tell anyone you've asked her and even when you make the public announcement. You should've trusted me with your secret. It feels a little belittling when your own family member doesn't trust you with one secret."

Mario sighed. "I'm-a sorry," he said in a solemn tone. "I shouldn't have done that. You're my brother, and should know what's going on. Will you forgive me?"

His brother sighed and shrugged. "Fine. At least I know now, so there's no use in fretting over it. Now we have to come up with a plan for this whole thing and keep Bowser at bay."

Mario shrugged. "I'm-a sure that'll be easy since Peach might have fancy assortment of choices in her castle for our wedding that all we have to do is decide on what we want. Bowser will never know because we will keep all information out of Bowser's hands. What'll be hard is at I'm going to do a lot of learning on how to run a kingdom."

Luigi nodded. "Yeah, I completely forget that if this goes right, you'll become king. Are you sure about that? That's a big change from what you and I usually do."

Mario took a moment to respond. "I put a lot of thought into this and I decided that I do want to do this. It'll be hard at first because I'll be adjusting to a whole new lifestyle, but I think I have the determination to make this work and as an added bonus, I'll have Peach by my side to guide me." Luigi nodded, feeling more reassured about Mario's soon-to-be new role. Mario then stood up. "I'm-a going to start the learning process now, so if you excuse me, I have a certain princess to see." He walked out of the door and headed to Peach's Castle.

**Peach's Castle**

Mario approached the castle doors with a sigh as he knocked. After informing Luigi of the engagement between Mario and Peach, the red plumber was eager to begin training to become a king. The doors opened to see Toad approach him. "Mario!" he chirped in surprise. "I haven't seen you in a while! What brings you here?"

"I need to talk to Princess Peach. It's something important that I need to discuss with her. Do you know where she is?"

Toad glanced at the plumber curiously, thinking he might be hiding something, but he shrugged the thought off. "Yeah, she's in her room. Why do you need to see her badly? Is it something to do with Bowser?"

Mario shook his head. "No. It's something else that I can't reveal right now." Toad was even more confused by his statement as he closed the door behind Mario as he walked up to Peach's room. When he arrived on the second floor of the castle, he opened a door decorated in pink. The princess was in the middle of combing her hair.

She glanced in surprise at the plumber. "Mario, what are you doing here?"

"I came to talk to you about something," the plumber said. "It's about learning about all the different roles and duties of being a ruler. I know you've been the ruler of this kingdom for your whole life and I was wondering if you could teach me. And by the way, I already told my brother so he now knows we're engaged."

Peach smiled and nodded. "I'm so glad Luigi finally knows. Of course I'll teach you about how to run a kingdom considering that's what I've done my whole life, but you do know that there's a whole lot you need to know because being ruler is such a heavy responsibility because you're representing the entire Mushroom Kingdom and every decision you make affects everyone around you and if you aren't careful, you could make life miserable for everyone, so what I teach you is absolutely necessary to successfully run this and any kingdom, do you understand?"

Mario nodded. "I fully understand. I want to do more to serve this kingdom than just save you from Bowser. I want to be an actual role model that other organisms can follow for many generations to come."

Peach smiled, loving his determination. "Excellent. Then we shall start with the basics. So, in order to run a kingdom effectively, you need to know what type of government you're dealing with, and in this case, it should be easy because since I'm the only ruler of the Mushroom Kingdom, then that should mean that we are an absolute monarchy, which means that I make all the decisions for the entire kingdom and are not subjugated by any law or custom I make, which is why I emphasize on being careful of your decisions. It's also important to know a brief history of the Mushroom Kingdom monarchy to help guide you, so let me be brief. My family has ruled over this kingdom for many generations, so the heir to the throne was always passed down in my family. That's how you become king or queen, but for me, I'm a special case. I assumed the throne at an unusual age, very young, because my mother died and my father vanished when I was nine, so throughout my life I had to study my way through and had to learn through mistakes, and now, I finally have all the necessary knowledge to teach someone and pass the reigns to them and I'm glad it's you of whom I'm teaching. Now, since we have so much to cover, this class is going to take a long time, but I want you to make sure that you're ready by the time our wedding arrives, so for the rest of today, we will set a date for our wedding and start planning."

Mario scratched his head. "So when and how are we going to tell everyone else? Because this is important news, they oughta know soon, right?"

The princess nodded. "Yes, but I want everything to be set in stone first. I want to make some progress on our plans and in my teachings, so let's give it a month before we hold a big announcement in my castle." The plumber nodded and smiled. His dream was starting to come true.

**Dark Land: Bowser Castle**

Ludwig scoffed as he and the rest of the Koopalings left the conference room. "What the heck is Bowser thinking? There's no one in the Mushroom Kingdom that dislikes Mario. If we bring back someone like the green plumber, they will just spoil our plans to the enemy. He clearly hasn't thought things through."

"Do you dare question our leader?!" Roy Koopa snarled in Ludwig's face, cracking his knuckles, who clearly overheard the Koopaling's words. "You better take those words back before I give you a mouth full of punch!"

He reared his fist at Ludwig when Wendy pushed him back. "Lay off him!" she snapped. "He does have a point. We can't just reveal our secrets to people like the green plumber because that would give away our advantage."

Roy glared at them. "Fine, then. Since you two seem so smart, why don't you tell me what we should do because if we don't get somebody soon, Lord Bowser's going to be angry with us."

Ludwig rolled his eyes. "Is it not obvious to you? We consult him. There might be a possibility that he might know somebody who does hate Mario. I know it might seem like a long shot, but it's our best bet." The others nodded in agreement.

Roy grumbled. "Fine. I guess we go back and consult Lord Bowser." They turned around and headed towards the conference room. He knocked on the door as they entered. Bowser was in the middle of a conversation when he saw the Koopalings in the doorway.

He stood up and glared at them. "What are you all doing here? I thought sent you all on a task, so leave already! I'm in the middle of something important right now, so I don't have for distractions!"

"I understand you're busy," said Ludwig, "But I just thought of a potentially huge problem. If we have someone like the green plumber spying for us, they might take advantage and spoil our secrets to the enemy. We don't know anyone who hates Mario in the Mushroom Kingdom, so we were hoping you'd know someone who does."

Bowser sat down and pondered on an answer to the Koopaling's question. He began to deduct on people he already knew weren't Mario haters until an idea ran through his mind. "Well," he said, "There are a couple people that I know that despise Mario, but I've only worked with them once. They were pretty efficient to work with, so if you can find them, bring them here and I'll do the rest of the work. They look very similar to Mario and Green Stache, but one is all yellow and obese and the other is skinny and purple, you can't miss them. And don't ask me where they live because I have no idea," he added when Larry Koopa raised his hand. "You'll have to figure that out on your own. Now go, that's all I can tell you."

Ludwig nodded. "Thank you, Lord Bowser. You were very helpful." He walked out of the room with the rest of the Koopalings following. They walked down the hallway and out of Bowser's Castle when they came to a stop outside to begin discussing their next plans. "So, now that we know some crucial information that will help us, we need to know where they live and bring them back. Anyone have any suggestions?"

Larry raised his hand. "Maybe we could capture one of the locals and question them on where they live."

Ludwig shrugged. "I guess that's a start, but we need to figure out who to capture because it depends if they know the two guys Lord Bowser described."

Roy rolled his eyes. "That shouldn't matter because I'm sure these two guys are probably widely known. We can probably get just about anybody."

Ludwig nodded. "That's a good point. The best place I know where we can get someone is near where all the mushroom people live. If we can get one of them, then we are well on our way. Let's leave now so we can get there by nightfall and use the darkness to our advantage." The others nodded and the Koopalings began their long trek towards Toad Town.

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_Thank you for reading this chapter. Why I decided to mention Peach's parents either dead or missing is because they haven't been mentioned in the games for many years, so I thought a little backstory would help to give them closure. Also, it will be crucial for a later point of the story. That's it for this week and I'll see you all on one of my next days off, Tuesday. Any constructive criticism helps me improve future chapters. See you then!_


	3. Chapter 3: The Acquiring of New Recruits

_Welcome back. Here's a quick response to a reviewer. To dAdamant1: Thank you for bringing up that point. As a villain, Bowser should be more smart with his plans because he's been doing the plotting for years, but, to me, I think he is smart, but his ego and passion for Peach creates inconsistencies in his genius like not foreseeing potential outcomes which was why I created this story that tries to diverge from that. I will make him and the others more smart._

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Disclaimer: Mario is Nintendo's property, not mine.

Chapter 3: The Acquiring of New Recruits

**Mushroom Kingdom: Toad Town**

The stars in the sky glittered when the Koopalings entered Toad Town. They glanced at all the houses around and light posts that lit the area as they walked. Lemmy Koopa glanced at Ludwig in confusion. "Wow. This sure isn't full of lively mushroom people like you said. What a terrible disappointment."

Ludwig rolled his eyes. "That's because everyone's asleep, which was why I wanted to get here at night so we can kidnap and interrogate someone. Now that everyone's asleep, we can do just that. Follow my lead." They then walked up to one of the doors and the eldest Koopaling then knocked and rang the bell before running away.

A couple minutes later, a Toad came out groggily opening his eyes. "Who in the world wants to knock at my doorstep at this time of night?" he grumbled, looking around for sight of anyone. Ludwig signaled Iggy Koopa and Roy to tackle the Toad when he turned around. As he began to walk into his house, the two Koopalings lunged at him and knocked him to the ground.

He struggled out of their grasp when Ludwig approached him and knelt to the ground. "If I were you," he hissed, "I'd stop struggling and cooperate like your life depended on it."

The Toad shivered in fright. "W-What do you want from me?" he whimpered. "It's late. I j-just want to g-go home."

Ludwig smirked. "You will later, once you do use a huge favor and tell us where a few certain people are. Then we might let you go, depending on how accurate your information is. But until then, you're going with us. No sense on having an interrogation here." The seven Koopalings then scrambled out of the town with the Toad in hand.

They arrived back into Mushroom Plains where they sat down and surrounded the Toad before beginning the interrogation. "If you're thinking of finding Mario, there's no way I'm telling you where they live!" the Toad snarled. "I know you guys work for Bowser, so there's no way you're mustering that information out of me!"

Ludwig snorted. "I don't care about Mario. What I care about is where two guys that look like Mario and the green plumber live. That's all I want. Just tell me where the obese and skinny one live, and I might let you go." The others glanced at each other in confusion.

The Toad realized who the Koopaling was talking about. "Oh, you must be talking about Wario and Waluigi. I actually don't know where they live."

Roy glared at him. "Don't play dumb with us! Apparently they're widely known, so you must know where they reside. Come on, at least give us some sort of clue!"

The Toad shrugged. "Well, they're very greedy and love money from all the stories I've heard about them, so maybe they live in some sort of mansion or something like that. Why do you need to know where they live anyway? Why are they so important to some sort of plan you all have?"

"That's none of your business," Ludwig hissed, frustrated due to lack of helpful information. "I have no reason to tell you why we need them. Now, if you'll excuse us, we have to start searching for this Wario and Waluigi." He glanced at the Toad. "Remember that this conversation never happened. If you tell anyone about this, I'll make sure you'll have more to worry about than your life to worry about." The Toad nodded and scurried away. After he left, the Koopaling sighed. "Well, that didn't really help. All we know now is that these guys are wealthy and we are nowhere near finding out where they live."

Wendy shrugged. "At least it's a start. Maybe they live on the outskirts of something like that."

"Maybe, but I think we can work with this lack of knowledge to our advantage. The two men we seek aren't always going to cooped up in whatever mansion they live in. Eventually, they will come out. And since we now know that they love money that they might target a bank or something."

Roy smiled. "So all we have to do is figure out where they're going and knab them!"

The Koopaling nodded. "Exactly. Now that we have a plan, we have to wait for their arrival. Who knows how long that'll be, so we might have to go into hiding for a few days. We can't risk getting caught by the villagers."

Lemmy glanced around. "There doesn't appear to be any cover in the town. Best not to stay here. Let's look in the plains.

Ludwig nodded. "OK. Hopefully they'll come by tomorrow because Bowser doesn't like his plans delayed, so let's start looking." The others nodded as they searched for a place to stay for the night. They wandered out of Toad Town into the plains where they came across a huge cave that was near the entrance of the town. They glanced inside as the moonlight reflected the cave walls. Ludwig nodded. "This will do fine. We will rest here until our mission is complete. Who will take first watch?" Roy raised his hand. Ludwig nodded. "Good. We will take turns. Wake one of us when you get tired." The other Koopalings then went to sleep as exhaustion took over their bodies.

**Elsewhere in the Plains**

Wario chuckled as he carried in a huge bag of gems and money into his castle. He and his partner-in-crime, Waluigi, have been living in the outskirts of the plains for many years. The two have met each other in their childhood and have been committing many heists ever since so they both can own a casino of their own and become even more rich. He grunted as he opened the doors of his humongous castle. Light illuminated the hallway, revealing pictures of himself framed against the wall grinning as he held up some treasure. The walls were layered with golden bricks throughout the castle. In fact, the whole castle was made of gold: gold chandeliers, gold windows, etc. It's one of the most expensive castles in the whole Mushroom Kingdom with the value closely matching with Peach's Castle. He entered down another hallway that led into a secret basement where they kept all their treasure. When he closed the door behind him, he saw Waluigi counting the treasure they recently collected. "How much do we got after that last raid?" he asked, dropping the bag of treasure next to Waluigi.

He looked up and grinned. "At least a couple thousand! Soon, I'll be able to own my own casino if we keep up at this rate!"

Wario rolled his eyes. "Don't you mean 'we'?" he growled. "This is a team effort, remember? You and I both rob banks together, so it's not just you putting in the most effort."

Waluigi nodded and gazed in amazement at Wario's bag as he emptied it. Hundreds of coins and gems fell out and covered the floor. "Wow, Wario! This is an amazing load you got there! Now we're certain to have that casino soon!"

Wario grinned and flexed his muscles. "I know. It's because of these guns that make me so successful at raiding. It makes me one of the most feared people on this entire planet. No wonder we're about to become the richest people in the world, even more rich than that dumb princess!"

Waluigi laughed. "You got that right! We might as well open up our casino now!"

Wario shook his head. "Not yet. I have one more place in mind where we can raid where we can get the biggest bang for our buck yet, the castle itself."

Waluigi smiled. "An excellent idea! Now we can really rack up cash from that place! I bet it holds all the money in the world, but I also bet it's heavily guarded. We need to be even more sneaky."

Wario nodded and cracked his knuckles. "Exactly, which is why we're leaving tomorrow and make our biggest raid yet, then we will be the richest people in the world! Now come. Let's create a plan for the world's greatest heist to come."

Waluigi huffed. "We don't need a plan. Peach's Castle is bound to have many riches anywhere! Let's just go in there with guns blazing!"

"An excellent idea. Nothing's going to us until the money's ours!"

**The Plains near Toad Town**

Birds chirped as light filled the cave, signalling morning's arrival. Ludwig opened his eyes and rubbed them as he stretched his legs. He looked around to see his other siblings still asleep except Morton Koopa Jr., who was on watch. He was about to stand up when the Koopaling ran back in the cave with his arms flailing. "Everyone, get up!" he yelled. The other Koopalings jolted awake.

"What is it?" Ludwig growled, rubbing his eyes. "There's no need to cause a ruckus and disturb everyone's sleep, so what the heck are you yelling for?"

"Morton finds the people we're looking for!" the gray Koopaling exclaimed. "They head downtown! We need to move now!"

The others rolled their eyes and walked out of the cave to see two people, one obese and the other skinny, running towards the castle. Realizing Morton was right, Ludwig glanced at his siblings. "Come on! We have to follow them before they get to the castle!" They took off across the green plains and headed towards the front. Once they arrived, two masked people charged through the castle doors with bags in their hands to haul treasure taking out any guards that tried to stop them with punches by Wario. Once the duo was in the castle, Ludwig glanced at his siblings. "I say we wait till they come back then nab them."

Wendy shook her head. "Look, Ludwig. I know you want to wait, but the sooner we get home with them, the better off we'll be. We need to go after them now." Ludwig nodded. The Koopalings ran through the doors, passing any knocked-out guards. In the distance, Wario and Waluigi opened a door that led them inside a narrow hallway with stairs at the end. The Koopalings ran after them. They entered the basement below the first floor of the castle. They followed the duo at a distance as they traveled through many twists and turns of the basement and eventually followed them to a secret room where piles of treasure and a vault that had a lock on it. Wario began to pick at the lock.

Waluigi began to fidget. "Hurry it up!" he growled. "The guards are going to come soon and we'll be caught if you don't tear that lock off!"

Wario wiped off some sweat from his forehead, feeling the pressure, and glared at Waluigi. "Will you shut up?" he snapped, still picking at the lock. "Your yelling isn't helping the situation! Make yourself useful and start collecting whatever treasure we can and let me deal with this!" Waluigi nodded and ran to collect the gems and coins that were scattered all over the floor. Wario continued to put in random combinations to the lock, but it refused to open. He growled in frustration as he heard footsteps approach the basement door. "That's it! Time to crack this dumb lock right open!" He cracked his knuckles and punched the lock with full force, hoping that it'll break off, but instead, it flew into the wall with a loud crash.

Waluigi jumped in fright at the noise. He glared at Wario. "Are you crazy?! Thanks a lot for making more noise! Now they know exactly where we are!"

Wario sighed. "Sorry. I guess what's ever inside isn't worth anything now. Let's get out of here!" Before they could move, the basement doors swung open. Two Toad guards and Peach ran into the basement and stared at the duo. Before they had a chance to reprimand them, Wario held his nose stuck his butt out. Ludwig gasped urged the Koopalings to run away from the room. They scattered just as Wario farted, releasing a huge greenish cloud that filled the room with a pungent garlic smell. Peach and the Toad guards ran away and coughed as the smell soon dissipated. Wario and Waluigi unplugged their noses and laughed."Ha! That trick does wonders everytime! I'm unstoppable!"

Waluigi rolled his eyes. "We can gloat later. Peach and her goons will return any minute now, so we have to leave." Wario nodded and they both scurried for their bags when the Koopalings reentered the room.

Wario gave them a confused look. "What do you miscreants want? Can't you see I'm in the middle of something?"

Ludwig rolled his eyes. "We can see that, but we don't care about it. We came in search of you two."

"What for?" Waluigi asked, crossing his arms. "What could you possibly want from us?"

Ludwig shrugged. "Nothing much, it's just that Bowser needs you for his plan for world domination. And no, he's not just going to capture Peach," he added when Waluigi raised his hand. "He has a change of plans, but in order for this to be a success, he needs your help."

Waluigi crossed his arms. "Why the heck does he need us for? Is he that desperate for help that he need outsiders like us for his plans to work?"

Before Ludwig can reply, Wario held his hand up. "Wait. They might have some sort of reward for our help. We're not just willing to throw in our cooperation without a benefit for us in this ordeal. Either we get paid, or Bowser's gonna have to execute his plan by himself. We don't do things for free, ya know."

Ludwig hesitated in his response. He chuckled nervously. "Uh, we haven't thought about that."

"Then tough noogies," Wario said dismissively. "You give me no payment, then I don't participate. Good luck with your measly plan, losers."

Before he could exit the room, Roy charged at him and socked him in the face, knocking him out cold. He glared at Waluigi, who shivered in fright. He received a glare from Ludwig.

"What?" he exclaimed. "He refused. I did what I had to do. At least this one's willing to submit," he added, pointing at Waluigi.

The blue Koopaling sighed. "Fine, you pick up the fat one and let's get out of here before Peach's welcome committee returns." Roy nodded and grabbed the unconscious man by the scruff while the others grabbed whatever treasure that was collected. They then walked out of the room wandered through the dark halls looking for an exit only to hear footsteps echoing from the other side of the basement.

Wendy looked at the surrounding water and began shaking. "We need to get out of here, but I don't see an exit anywhere! We're trapped!" Around them was an area that was completely surrounded by water brought by the castle moat that surrounds it from the outside. Two pillars stood in the center.

"Not so fast!" Larry said. "There's a door submerged underwater, but I don't know how we can get to it." He pointed to it.

Ludwig had an idea. "We need to drain the water!" he said. "We need to drain the water first in order to access it!"

Roy glared at him. "How do you suppose we do that? There's no way to drain it from what I can see."

The blue Koopaling pointed at the pillars. "We need to ground pound them to drain the water, but we have to be quick! Who can ground pound?" Roy and Morton raised their hands. They jumped into the water and climbed on the pillar and ground-ponded it. The pillars sank into the ground and landed with a thud. When it submerged, the water brained, revealing a door that was completely sealed. The footsteps echoed louder down the halls. The Koopalings scrambled to the door and Roy knocked it open with a punch. Ludwig glared at Waluigi. "And you're coming along as well," he growled, exiting the basement. Waluigi nodded and followed the Koopaling out of the door and into the castle grounds, which contains a garden of many flowers and a statue of Princess Peach in the center. Trees surrounded the castle which the Koopalings used for cover as they ran back to Bowser's Castle.

**Dark Land: Bowser Castle**

Wario groaned as he began to wake up as he rubbed his head, which pounded with every heartbeat. His retinas adjusted to the light that filled the dark room he was in. The walls were lined with gray bricks and a spiked chandelier hung on the ceiling. He glanced around his surroundings only to find out he was tied in a chair. He yanked on the rope that held him down, but it didn't budge and he quickly got frustrated. "Hey!" he yelled. "What's the big idea?! Where the heck am I?!"

"So it seems my guest has returned from his slumber," a deep voice said. The door swung open as Bowser entered the room.

"Bowser?!" Wario exclaimed in shock. "How the heck did I get in your castle?! Why am I even here in the first place?" He glanced around the room once more. "Where the heck is Waluigi?!"

"Give me a chance to explain," Bowser said with a slight tone of annoyance. "You were brought here by my minions for a purpose in my plan. I need you to do something for me."

Wario growled. "I thought I told those miscreants of yours that I don't want to be any part of this without payment! They didn't promise me payment, do Waluigi and I left them, so I demand you let me go at once!"

Bowser chuckled. "I don't think so. You see, I have a huge plan to deal with Mario and his friends, but before I can execute it, I'm going to need to know everything that's going on in order for this to work, I need your help, and you're willing to get a large bonus for your cooperation, is that correct?"

Wario nodded, interested in his offer. "How much are you willing to put on the table? If it's too low, you ain't getting help from me."

"How does 100,000 coins sound?"

Wario nodded. "That'll be more than enough to get me and Waluigi our own casino. You have a deal." He attempted to shake Bowser's hand, he forgot about the rope still tied down to him. Bowser sighed and untied the rope. The obese man stretched his muscles.

"You have to forgive my minions for the horrible hospitality," the Koopa King said. "They only did what I told them to do. If you need someone to blame, you can blame me."

Wario huffed and shrugged his shoulders. "Doesn't matter. We're partners now. What matters now is where the heck Waluigi is. I'm a bit concerned for him."

"Don't worry," Bowser said. "He's not that far from here. Follow me." He led Wario out of the room down the hallway that led to a series of stairs. They climbed them and went down another hallway and entered a bedroom on the right where they found Waluigi tied up.

"Get me out of this! I didn't sign up to be treated like this! I deserve to know who's behind this!" He then glanced at Wario and shreaked in joy. "Wario, I'm so glad to see you! Where the heck have you been? After they knocked you out, I was dragged in here and they tied me up without explaining what's going on! Such poor hospitality, I tell you!"

Wario rolled his eyes. "Quit your huffing. Bowser wants us for some big plan of his and if it succeeds, we get paid big time. Now let's listen to him."

They turned to Bowser as he untied Waluigi from the chair. "So," he began, "I have a huge plan on how to get rid of Mario and his friends. I'm not going into details because that's not why I need you two. You see, in the past, I would kidnap Peach before dealing with Mario, but this time I've decided to do the reverse, so I have a job for you two. I'm going to need to know what Mario and his friends are up to, so when the time comes to execute my plan, I'll have them distracted with my minions and then will I be able to marry Peach right then and there, so I need you two to get in there and report back to me while I still plan out the attack."

"It's about time you decided to change tactics!" Wario laughed, much to Bowser's annoyance. "I've seen you time after time getting beaten by that red plumber because you do the same thing over and over again. You finally decided to learn from your mistakes!"

"Don't rub it in," the Koopa King growled. "I've already had it with my minions that I don't need another banter from other people."

Waluigi raised his hand. "Quick question. Why not send one of your minions after them? It would make yours and our jobs' much easier."

Bowser eyed him suspiciously. "I hope you aren't just creating excuses to not do this simple job." Waluigi shook his head. "Good. I can't risk getting caught and can't have anyone like Green 'Stache spy for me because that would lead them to reveal secret information, so you two are my only option. Since you two agreed to help me, payment is guaranteed. The best place to start is Peach's Castle, but get going soon because I don't have all the patience in the world." The two nodded and left the room with grins on their faces.

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_Thank you for reading this chapter. This chapter gave your first look of Wario and Waluigi, being their greedy selves as always. I based Peach's Castle off the Mario 64 version. Any constructive criticism you give me to improve future chapters is appreciated. That's all for this chapter. One of my next days off is Tuesday, the 8th. See you then!_


	4. Chapter 4: The Ruined Wedding

_Welcome back for another chapter! Thank you everyone for showing appreciation by reviewing, following, and favoriting this story. Now, enjoy this action-packed chapter!_

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Disclaimer: Mario is Nintendo's property, not mine.

Chapter 4: The Ruined Wedding

One month after Mario's proposal, it was time to reveal all of the Mushroom Kingdom about the marriage. Peach sent out invitations to many of her friends and representatives from other countries like Princess Daisy of Sarasaland and Queen Bean and Prince Peasley of the Beanbean Kingdom. Everyone met inside the castle where chatter filled the room. Mario was in a dressing room getting dressed for the big announcement. He fidgeted with his hat as Toads were ironing some dress clothes to make him look nice. One of the Toads looked up from his ironing and sighed. "You need to relax," he said. "It will be fine. Take deep breaths. I know you're scared, but you've been preparing for this for a while now. You knew this was coming, so you need to calm your nerves."

"I know that," Mario retorted. "Knowing it's coming and experiencing it are two different things. I've never done something this big before, so of course I'm-a having a bit of a breakdown. Anyone would feel the same way for doing something like this for the first time. It's common."

The Toad shrugged and continued ironing the shirt he was working on. Minutes later, Mario dressed up in different attire than his regular clothes. He wore a buttoned-up red and black tuxedo with a blue tie and black dress shoes. When he walked out, Peach greeted him with her usual pink dress on with her crown. She held out her hand. "Come. Everyone's waiting." She sighed. "You need to relax," she said sternly. "Hundreds of people are waiting for you. If you're going to be their new king, you need to show them your confidence and no signs of nervousness. That will start you off the right foot and besides," she added, "I'm here every step of the way, so take a few deep breaths and calm yourself." Mario nodded, but was still shaking. He took a couple of breaths and tried to calm his fast-beating heart and remove the sweat from his forehead. After he took her hand, they both walked towards the crowd and Mario gazed among the hundreds of people and organisms crowded up at the castle front. When they gazed at the plumber with wonder, his heart beated faster. He and Peach stood before the crowd before the princess gave her speech. "Hello. Welcome all to my castle for a special announcement. Many of all are probably wondering why I've summoned you all here and why Mario's here with me and I have an answer that will satisfy all those questions. You see, great change is among the Mushroom Kingdom. For many years, I have been the sole ruler of this kingdom through all of its times of great happiness and sorrow. And now, that is about to change. Just recently, Mario has proposed to me and has agreed to become king, something this kingdom hasn't had ever since my parents disappeared." The plumber shuffled nervously next to her. "So one year from now, Mario and I will be married and later there will be a coronation ceremony where he and I will officially receive our titles. To those who came today, there are pamphlets here to discuss all the details. I thank you all for coming and I look forward to serving you all in the near future. Thank you!" Everyone cheered for them as they entered the castle, waving goodbye.

Mario sighed with relief once he escaped from the noise. "Finally, I can get a break. That was a bit of a nightmare with everyone staring at me."

Peach chuckled. "That was just the start. You're going to deal with a lot more than that. Now come on. Let's get to today's lesson." Mario nodded as he followed her to her room.

**Earlier in Peach's Castle **

Wario and Waluigi tiptoed as they walked through the castle doors having spotted a crowd of people and organisms chatting to themselves inside. They stood near the back within earsight of Mario and Peach as they emerged from the front doors dressed nicely. Wario glanced at them with curiosity. "Wonder what the occasion is."

Waluigi shrugged. "Who knows. Guess we're about to find out." They sat in silence as Peach gave her speech. Mario became distressed after she finished and went with cheers behind them. He glanced at Waluigi in shock. "Mario's getting married and about to become king?! I never would've thought that plumber had the guts to propose to her! Bowser won't be pleased by this! We need to get out of here!"

"Not yet!" Wario hissed, grabbing Waluigi's arm. "We need some kind of proof or else Bowser might not believe us." He looked around. People crowded a nearby sitting table, grabbing pamphlets. The two merged in the crowd and Wario snatched one before running away.

**Dark Land: Bowser's Castle**

"WHAT?!" Bowser shrieked in dismay after the duo told him about the latest news. "Mario's going to be married to Peach?! How dare he! Peach is rightfully mine! She should submit to me, not him!"

Wario nodded. "I know! I'm just as surprised as you are! I knew the plumber liked her due to all the times he saved her, but I didn't think he'd flat out propose to her!"

The Koopa King turned away. "That plumber's got some nerve trying to propose to her again after what happened on the moon."

Waluigi gave him a confused look. "He proposed to her on the moon?"

"More like tried to," Bowser corrected. "I tried to forcefully marry her and we traveled all over the planet and eventually landed on the moon and of course, Mario stopped me from doing that and now he's marrying her and he already has things set in stone. That makes me so angry, I want to stop them right now and make him feel what I've felt these past months!"

Kamek approached him with a cautious look. "I don't think you should do that just yet." The Koopa King glared at him. "What I mean is you should wait till their marriage arrives, then ambush them. That way, we have plenty of time to execute our plan of attack and it'll be totally unsuspected."

Bowser smiled. "An excellent idea, Kamek." He glanced at Wario. "Do you have a wedding date for me?" The obese man nodded, handing him the pamphlet he took. The Koopa King read it and smiled. "Excellent, you two. You've given me some valuable information I can use to my advantage. You will get a huge reward for your help." The duo high-fived each other. "Now if you excuse me, I have scheming to do with my son." He left the throne room.

* * *

Weeks turned into months as Mario continued learning about what it takes to be a king, learning various skills and quickly gaining knowledge that will make him successful in the coming years. Meanwhile, he left Luigi in charge of making decisions about the wedding like food decisions, where the reception would take place, and naming groomsmen after making him his best man, which Mario would have to approve. After many months later, the wedding day has finally arrived. A huge white tent was set up in the castle grounds, covering the ground with white wedding chairs and pink ribbons lined up in rows as a pink rug stretched between the two aisles and a podium standing up on a stage with a couple vases of flowers at each end where the bridesmaids and the groomsmen will stand. Inside the castle lobby on the first floor hung a huge banner saying 'Congratulations Mario and Peach!' along the ceiling in red and pink bold letters. Toads with bowties on set up tables and brought out a huge variety of exotic Mushroom Kingdom foods. Round tables with decorated chairs and fancy silverware and folded napkins were set up in a circular fashion to leave space for a dance area.

Mario was in a separate dressing room putting on a white tuxedo with a fancy white hat to replace his regular red one. In the room with him were his groomsmen, Yoshi and Toad, both dressed in black-and white tuxedos with white bow ties around their necks. The groomsmen smiled. "Wow," Yoshi said, his mouth slightly agape. "You look amazing, Mario! I never thought I'd see you outside your regular clothing. You're definitely prepared for this wedding."

Toad nodded. "Yeah. I can't believe I'll have to serve you soon. I've always looked at you like a model and now that's definitely going to happen. It's going to feel so different with you in the castle."

Mario nodded, slightly shaking. "Yeah. A lot has happened this year. First, I proposed to her after a couple of months stopping a marriage between her and Bowser and here I am, about to do something Bowser tried many times: actually get married to her, and it's a little nerve-wracking."

"But you'll do fine," Yoshi said reassuringly, resting his hand on the plumber's shoulder. "You've accomplished many things in your life. Yes, this is something new, but take it head on with the same mindset you're always in and you'll do fine." Mario nodded at the dinosaur's words, though queasiness emerged like a kidney stone in his stomach.

The doors swung open as Luigi, dressed up in a black-and-white tuxedo and green bow tie, entered the room. "It's time," he said. "I hope you're, big brother."

The red plumber nodded. "As ready as I'll ever be, Luigi."

Luigi nodded. "Good. Let's-a go." The four of them left the dressing room towards the castle grounds.

* * *

Peach sighed as she placed on her white wedding dress with white silk overlapping in several layers with her white veil on her head with her regular tiara. She was accompanied by her bridesmaids: Daisy as her maid-of-honor, Toadette, and Rosalina, who were all wearing dresses similar to Peach's. Daisy glanced at the pink princess. "You OK?" she asked. "Just relax. Your relationship with Mario will be fine and dandy. I believe that with my heart! Just stop worrying about it."

Peach sighed. "That's not what I'm worried about," she said. "I'm worried that Bowser's going to interfere with this wedding and things will just be like they were a few months ago. If Bowser comes, then I don't know what to do. Sometimes I feel like these past months have been a game of tug-of-war between those two. I don't know what to do."

"You need to relax," Rosalina said sternly. "I don't see any reason why Bowser would know about the wedding. From what I've heard, nobody has reported any signs of him or his troops, so don't worry. This isn't the state of mind you need to be."

"I know," the pink princess said, breathing a little heavy, "But that's the thing that worries me. Bowser hasn't made a single attack in months, so I think he could be up to something devious. I just have a voice in the back of my mind saying he's up to something and I can't put it off."

Toadette shook her head. "I understand you're worried, but please, you must listen to us. Now isn't the time to worry when you have the most important thing in your life coming up: a royal wedding when you'll become queen. You can worry later after the wedding. Subside your thoughts and focus on the present, not the future." Peach nodded, though not reassured.

A couple minutes later, Toadsworth entered the dressing room with a black-and-white tuxedo on and looked at Peach. "It's time. I hope you're ready, my dear."

She nodded. "I guess I am. Let's go." The five of them left towards the castle grounds.

**Dark Land: Bowser's Castle**

Dim light entered Bowser's room as he stretched his muscles and yanked his blankets off as he stood on his feet. He walked out of his bedroom and grinned at Kamek. He cocked his head. "You're up early. I know it's the day of the invasion, but the wedding isn't going to start for a while now. You need to rest."

The Koopa King shook his head. "I don't need anymore rest. We have to leave now in order to stop the wedding in time. We have a lot of traveling to do. Wake everyone up. Tell the Koopalings to head to their airships. It's time to go." The magikoopa nodded and ran off before Bowser headed to his airship. He jumped on the mast of the ship and looked at all the ammunition of bob-ombs and bullet bills stacked in rows on shelves. Soon, the room erupted with all of Bowser's minions with Bowser Jr. and the Koopalings in the room with chatter filling the air. Bowser roared as his voice echoed the chamber. The noise died down as his minions turned to him. "Welcome," he said. "I thank you all for coming. In the past, I've always executed the same strategy for conquering the Mushroom Kingdom and expanding my domain, all which has failed, until today because Kamek, my son, and I have changed one strategy, one that will mark this day in history because with it, Mario and his friends will fall and we will finally be victorious!" Cheers and applause from his minions erupted the room. "Now minions," he said once the cheers died down, "I have split you up into groups based on your species. The Koopalings will be in charge of each one and will guide a full unit while Kamek, my son, and I take the princess. Once that's done, that's when you strike and overpower them. Don't stop until you kill them and by then, I will marry Peach and this kingdom will be ours!" The minions cheered again for their master. "So," he continued, "In order for this to work, we all need to work together. This is a team effort and it's the only way we'll succeed. If you fight with fierce passion and determination inside your heart, then you will succeed. That is all. Everyone to your assigned airships, then we'll leave at once!" The minions nodded as they went to their airships.

Wario and Waluigi walk up to him. "What should we do?" Wario asked. "You haven't given us any roles in this and we want in on the action."

The Koopa King shook his head. "Not yet. I want you two to help me conquer the Mushroom Kingdom after I marry Peach. You will get in on the action soon. Just be patient." He climbed on his airship as Waluigi groaned to himself. After everyone was loaded up, the airships' propellers started spinning as they took off the ground and made their way to Peach's Castle to stop the wedding.

**Peach's Castle: Castle Grounds**

Mario sighed as the pianist played the Wedding March outside the castle doors. Luigi held his hand. "Breathe," he said slowly. "Relax those tense muscles of yours. Everything will be fine." In front of him were the groomsmen nodding their heads. Mario nodded as the Toads opened the doors and everyone rose in their seats as Yoshi and Toad were the first ones to walk down the aisle. After they took their spots on the right side of the stage, Mario and Luigi walked down the aisle next. Hundreds of gazing eyes fell upon him as the red plumber waved sheepishly at them. Donkey Kong and his family, Pauline and her band, who were to provide music for the reception, Birdo, and even Cappy, Tiara, and many others Mario encountered from all the kingdoms he traveled to were there. After they took their spots, all the bridesmaids and Daisy entered the aisle and took their spots. After them entered Peach accompanied by Toadsworth. Mario gazed in awe at her white dress with small dapples of white silk and her white veil over her face.

As she stood in front of him, the red plumber gazed into her blue pool of eyes as a preacher Toad wearing a black cloak approached the podium and everyone seated in their chairs before he began the ceremony. "Welcome all to a joyous day. A day where we join together a unionship between hero and royalty. This day will be the first when we will have our first king in years and I couldn't think of a better person to have that role than Mario himself." He glanced at the plumber. "Throughout your youth, you have saved this kingdom from many times of turmoil when Bowser would haunt us all with his devious plans for world domination, but you were always there as a shining beacon of light in the bleak existence of darkness and for that, we appreciate you. Before we continue, I would also like to thank Mario's friends as well for facing Bowser's threats head-on with fierce determination, so thank you all from the bottom of all our hearts." Cheers erupted from the crowd as they applauded the heroes. Mario smiled. After they died down, the preacher Toad continued. "Now, let's continue with the exchange of vows."

Peach was the first one to speak as she opened up a piece of paper with writing on it. "Dear Mario. I would like to thank you for all the hard work you've done to prevent Bowser from taking over this kingdom. Sometimes I think I don't give you enough appreciation and if I do show you appreciation, it's just something small like a cake I'll bake you, which is pretty small of what I should be showing. One of the best qualities about you is throughout all these years, you've never given up. You strive to keep going, so my vow to you is I'm never going to give up on our relationship, no matter how bad things get, I will always be there for you. That's a promise." After she finished, people applauded with some wiping tears in their eyes.

Mario smiled. "Dear Peach. I would like to thank you for accepting me to marry you because, to be honest, every time I would come to rescue you, my love for you grew more and more and now, without you, my life wouldn't-a the same, so my vow to you is to always be by your side and to keep all you've taught me close to heart." He turned to the crowd. "And I have a vow to you," he added, enunciating his voice. "I promise that I'll-a be the best king to my fullest potential and make sure that whatever I do, it benefits you all. I will set a good example for everyone to follow. That's my promise to you all!" Cheers erupted from the crowd as Mario finished his vow.

After they died down, the preacher Toad continued the ceremony. "Now will ringbearer bring forth the rings?" A Toad emerged from the crowd carrying a pillow with two fancy golden rings with blue crystals and small engravings on the insides. Mario took one of the rings and placed in on Peach's left hand right finger as the princess did the same to the plumber. The blue crystals glowed in the afternoon light creating a blue aura around it. "These rings," the preacher said, "Symbolize the unity of a marriage and serves as a remembrance of their love for each other. He looked at Peach. "Princess, do you take Mario as your lawfully-wedded husband? Will you rule this kingdom with the utmost righteousness and to love each other faithfully till death?"

Peach nodded. "I do."

The Toad looked at Mario. "Do you take Peach to be your lawfully wedded wife? Will you rule this kingdom with the utmost righteousness and to love each other faithfully till death?" Before Mario could respond, the ground shook as he and the others glanced around to find out where it was coming from. "W-What's going on? Where's that noise coming from?"

Mario glanced around when something caught his eye and his heart sank. Eight huge airships landed on the ground as Bowser jumped off his before his minions joined him. "Well, looky what we have here," he said as he glanced around his surroundings. He glanced at Peach. "Decided to hold another wedding without me? And you didn't even bother sending me an invitation? How inconsiderate."

Peach looked at him in shock. "What the heck are you even doing here?! How did you know I was having a wedding?"

Bowser snorted. "I have no reason to tell you, but are you really trying to get married to that dweeb-" He pointed at Mario, "After I tried to marry you? Do you know how insulting that is to me?"

"We don't-a care about how you feel," Mario stated matter-of-factly, glaring at the Koopa King. "Here I am about to get married and you show up, deciding to ruin it just when I was about to say 'I do'. You need to get out of here now."

Bowser laughed at the plumber's response. "Don't be stupid! You know why I'm here! Peach is coming with me and that's final! Any resistance will be eliminated, so move out of my way!" Mario didn't move a muscle. The Koopa King sighed. "Fine. You want your death warrant, you just earned it!" He rammed into Mario. He rolled along the ground and rammed into the crowd, sending organisms and chairs flying in different directions. Everyone else besides Mario's friends ran away from the scene. Taking that as a sign of attack, Bowser Jr. and the Koopalings charged at everyone else with wands blazing. Mario got back on his feet and rammed into Bowser. He rolled but quickly regained his footing again as he charged at Mario with his claws in the air. He swiped at the plumber and swung his tail, but he ducked and socked the koopa in the face, which sent him sprawling. The koopa growled and shot fireballs in quick succession. The plumber dodged the fireballs and they flew into enemies and heroes, which sent them in the air. The plumber gazed upon the damage done to the wedding scene and growled. He ran towards the koopa and jumped in the air. He launched himself at his arch-nemesis and whacked him in the face, causing to clutch his nose. He performed a leg sweep and kicked him in the chest, causing the koopa to gag in pain. "Get out of here!" Mario snarled, running and attempting to spike him, but Bowser was ready. When Mario was in reaching distance, he swung his arm to pat the plumber on the cheek before following up with a punch. Mario rolled along the ground, dirt and small drops of blood staining his white tux. He growled and ran at the koopa.

* * *

His friends fended off the Koopalings and their units as best as they could. Yoshi ducked as he stuck out his tongue and threw two hammer bros in the distance. He head-butted Larry in the face before swiping his tail at the Koopaling's eyes. He clutched his eyes as he growled and swung his wand at the dinosaur, launching a teal-blue blast at him at a fast speed. Yoshi dodged the blast and threw an egg at the Koopaling before running to kick him with his leg. The Koopaling dodged the egg throw and two Fire Bros launched fireballs at the dinosaur, who dodged their attacks and stuck out his tongue at them and wrapped it around their legs. He threw them at Larry, who jumped into his shell and rammed threw them and into Yoshi, who flew back a couple feet. The dinosaur charged at the Koopaling and socked him in the face before jumping in the air to ground pound him. Larry rolled along the ground and growled. "You're starting to get on my nerves, dinosaur!" He stood on his feet. "Prepare to die!" Yoshi got into a fighting stance, ready to continue the fight despite his tux horribly ripped from the battle.

* * *

Elsewhere, Luigi ran through hundreds of Bowser's minions, bashing them with punches and kicks. He eventually ran into Morton, who tumbled. He stood up and glared at the plumber. "Watch where you're going!" he hissed. "You hurt me! You're gonna pay!" He whipped out a hammer and charged at him. He swung it at the green plumber and he jumped out of the way as the hammer crashed on the ground with a loud crack! Morton charged at him and threw his hammer at him. Luigi ducked and round-house kicked the Koopaling in the jaw before grabbing him and throwing him a huge distance. He rammed into Wendy, who was fighting Daisy, who all pummeled in the dirt.

"Do you mind?!" Wendy snarled. "I'm busy fighting someone right now." Daisy charged at her and kicked her back, ripping a part of her dress. The pink Koopaling stood back up and equipped two gold rings and threw at them which she ducked, arching her back far as a result.

Seeing her stretching her back in pain, Wendy tried to ram into her, but Luigi knocked her back with a kick. "Don't even think about it," he growled.

She stood on her feet and smiled. "Well, looks like there's more flesh needing a beating. Today's my lucky day." Morton accompanied her with his hammer at hand. She looked at the gray Koopaling. "Ready to beat these two to a pulp?" Morton nodded and knocked a wedding chair at the plumber, who quickly ducked as it smacked into a couple Shy Guys. Morton growled and swung his hammer at him. Luigi ducked and jammed his fist into the gray Koopaling's eye before walloping him with a head butt. Morton flew several feet back and landed with a thud. Wendy growled at the sight of her friend lying on the ground in pain. She glared at Luigi and pulled out her wand. She conjured two rings and threw them at the plumber, who ducked and uppercutted her before Daisy ran to butt-bash her as the pink Koopaling flew into Morton. The Sarasaland princess cheered with glee at the sight of her defeated enemies. "Don't get too cocky, princess," Wendy growled as she and Morton stood on their feet breathing heavily. "We're not done yet." Daisy and Luigi rolled their eyes as the duo ran at them. They changed their expressions when an army of Goombas appeared at their side.

Daisy glanced at Luigi in worry. "Luigi, what are we going to do? Those two by themselves are enough, but a whole army at their side? There's no way we can beat them! We have to retreat!"

Luigi shook his head. "No! We need to keep fighting! We can't let them win! Besides, Goombas are easy to fend off, so we'll be fine." Daisy sighed as she got into a fighting stance, hoping he was right.

* * *

Lemmy laughed gleefully as he and Iggy smashed into Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong with their Chain Chomp. They rolled along the ground. "That was fun! We should do that again!" Iggy nodded vigorously and the Chain Chomp launched at Donkey Kong with its mouth snarling.

"Donkey Kong, watch out!" Diddy Kong yelled. The big ape turned around. He smacked it back with a twirl of his fist as the Chain Chomp broke off the chariot he was on.

Iggy gasped in shock as he glanced at his destroyed chariot. "My Chain Chomp!" he cried. He glared at Donkey Kong. "You shall pay, fur ball!" He waved his wand and launched a green blast that flew straight in Diddy Kong, which sent him flying backwards a couple feet. Donkey Kong growled and jumped in the air. He crashed on the ground and created a shockwave that sent both of them flying backward. Lemmy stood on his feet and whipped a huge ball he balanced on. He tried to ram into Donkey Kong, but Diddy Kong activated his jetpack and peanut popguns and shot a couple peanuts.

"Eat peanuts, fiend!" he hissed at the yellow Koopaling as he fell off the ball and Donkey Kong knocked it will all his strength back with a punch as it rammed into Bowser's minions and almost knocking into a few heroes along the way. Lemmy stood on his feet and shook his head. Diddy Kong rammed into him, knocking him back with a tail whip and a punch. The yellow Koopaling rolled along the ground, unconscious.

"Lemmy!" Iggy cried. He whipped another green magic blast that whacked into Diddy Kong's jetpack, making it malfunction as he fell to the ground in pain. Donkey Kong snarled and charged at him before Roy charged and rammed into him, knocking the ape back. "Roy! You came to help!"

He smirked. "Of course I did. I was thinking you needed a little manpower, so here I am!" He glared at Donkey Kong, who growled and banged his fists on his chest. "You think you can pick on my friends, do ya? Well, you picked the wrong person to mess with!"

"So have you!" the ape hissed. "You decided to interfere with our fight! This doesn't concern you, so leave!"

Roy laughed. "Who cares? You're about to be turned into mush anyway!" Donkey Kong growled and charged at the Koopaling with his fists ablaze. He swung them trying to hit him, but the Koopaling ducked and punched him in the chest, which sent him sprawling. He jumped in the air and ground-pounded the ground, shaking the ground as Donkey Kong shook from the tremors. Roy charged at him and leg-swept him before kicking the ape back. Donkey Kong grunted as he landed on the ground. He quickly stood back up and charged at him with Diddy Kong by his side.

Iggy approached Roy with his wand ready as a couple Dry Bones joined him. "Ready to kick some butt?" he asked.

Roy nodded, cracking his knuckles. "You don't even need to ask." They charged at the two apes screaming with anger.

* * *

Peach looked around as all her friends fighting off Bowser's minions. She sighed. Rosalina came to her side. "Are you OK, my dear?" she asked. "You seem worried."

The pink princess shook her head, staring at Mario as he pummeled Bowser. "No. It's just whenever I see Mario fighting Bowser, it always worries me something bad might happen."

"You have other things to worry about," a deep voice hissed. Peach and Rosalina turned to see Ludwig glaring at them with his wand in hand. He glanced at Rosalina. "I suggest you back off and let me grab Peach so I can be on my merry way."

"I will not," Rosalina said, whipping out her wand. She glanced at Peach. "You run inside the castle where it's safe. I'll fend off this fiend." The princess nodded and ran inside the castle with a certain bandana koopa watching from afar and dashing from the battle. Toadsworth appeared, who was escorting a couple Toads towards the basement.

"Toadsworth!" she called, running to him. "You're OK!"

The elderly Toad looked behind to see her in the distance. "Princess!" he cried, embracing her in a hug. "Thank goodness you're all right! When Bowser invaded, I started escorting everyone to safety!" He gave her a stern look. "I knew this would happen! I did fear Bowser was going to attack and guess what, he's attacking us! Why in the world didn't you listen to me?!"

"I'm sorry, Toadsworth!" Peach cried. "We haven't seen Bowser in a long time, so I thought we were going to be OK, but I was wrong! Somehow, he found out and now this kingdom's in trouble again and it's all my fault!"

"Enough of that riff raff!" Toadsworth hissed. "It's not all your fault, but there's nothing we can do about it now other than to get you away from the fight so Bowser doesn't get his hands on you. We need to leave now!"

"Not if I have something to say about that!" a high-pitched voice yelled. Bowser Jr. leapt out and knocked the elderly Toad back before grabbing Peach by the hand. "Where do you think you're going?" he hissed. "You have a wedding to attend to and if we don't leave now, we'll be late." He ran through and out the castle doors towards his father's airship with Peach in hand. Toadsworth stood up and ran outside.

* * *

Mario grunted as he landed on the ground, breathing heavy as he examined the cuts and bruises from the battle. His tux was all now stained brown from all the rolling he's been doing. Bowser looked at him as the plumber stood on his feet. "Still have some energy left, eh? How about I expel the rest of it before my wedding with Peach by killing you!" Before he could charge at Mario, a high-pitched squeal filled the air.

The plumber gasped. "Peach's in trouble! I have to-a help her!"

"Not on my watch, you aren't!" Bowser yelled. He reared back as his feet charged forward and slammed into Mario, knocking him back. The Koopa King glared at him. "You've already done enough damage to my first wedding that I'm not allowing you to ruin my second! You're friends will be too occupied to help you and you're too tired to move on! Just give it up already! Now if you excuse me, I have an airship to catch." He ran off towards his airship. He jumped up on it. Bowser Jr. had Peach in hand. "Excellent work, son. Everything's going to plan. Soon, this kingdom will be mine!" He laughed maniacally.

"No it won't!" Peach hissed. "Mario's going to come and rescue me like always and you will fail!"

Bowser stopped laughing and glared at her. "Why the heck do you still hold on to that same belief? Look at Mario and his friends. They're being overwhelmed by my minions; they can't save you. It's now pointless to hold on that feeble belief when victory for me is within my fingertips. Look what effects a couple changes to my plans have on your friends." Peach glanced around. Bowser's minions slammed on her friends. They surrounded Daisy, Luigi, and Yoshi as they charged and toppled them. Donkey Kong struggled as he threw minions off one-by-one, but they piled on him tenfold. Rosalina struggled to fend off Ludwig and his troop of minions with her magic. Her friends' screams made Peach look away at the sight. "Now see what I mean? There's no need to cling to them as hope anymore. Soon, you'll have all the world under my protection when you marry me." He looked at Bowser Jr. "Let's get out of here." His son nodded and started up the airship as its propellers spinned and headed towards Bowser's Castle.

Mario huffed as he rolled on the ground, his body searing with pain. His friends struggled to fend off Bowser's forces. Toadsworth ran to him with a bag in his hand. "Master Mario! Peach has been taken by Bowser! You have to save her!"

"I… can't. Body… hurts too much." The plumber struggled to stand up.

Toadsworth took out an item from the bag. He gave Mario a Super Mushroom. "Here. Maybe this will help." Mario nodded and took the mushroom and ate it. The mushroom's effects coursed through his body as he regained some of his strength. The pain slowly faded away as Mario stood up, his head still feeling dizzy from the fight. "Are you feeling better?"

Mario nodded. "Yeah, a little. Where did you get those power-ups, anyway?"

"I gathered them a little after Peach was kidnapped. I thought you might need some help, so here." Toadsworth handed him the bag. "Now, go save Princess Peach! The entire kingdom's relying on you!" Mario nodded and ran to Bowser's Castle to save his beloved.

* * *

_Thank you for reading this chapter. I apologise for the length. Future chapters will be shorter. Now, we're gearing up for the 'tragedy that befalls the Koopa Troop'. What is it? You have to wait till to find out. See you then next Tuesday!_


	5. Chapter 5: The Runaway

_Hello, everyone. This is the chapter that has a major turning point in the story. Read on to find out what it is._

_Edit: This chapter was edited due to a reviewer's recommendation._

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Disclaimer: Mario is to Nintendo, not me.

Chapter 5: The Runaway

**Dark Land: Bowser's Castle**

Peach sighed as Bowser's Castle came in the distance, as it has become a regular sight for her. "Welcome to your new home, Princess," Bowser said as the airship landed on the ground. "I hope you get used to my castle soon because you won't be living in yours."

"I already have," Peach muttered. He shrugged and released a rope ladder and the three climbed down and entered the castle. When they entered the throne room, Kamek wore a black bow tie around his neck.

"Welcome!" the magikoopa said with open arms. "I've been waiting for you two! Now you are here, the wedding can commence!" Peach rolled her eyes, not liking the thought of trying to be married to Bowser two times in a row. Bowser smiled and took her hand as he and Peach lined up in front of the magikoopa. "Today," he began, "Is going to be a glorious day for the Koopa Troop! Today will be the official unification between both kingdoms who've been at war with each other for the longest time, but now that's about to change." He glanced at Bowser. "I know you will gladly have her, but it will take a little bit persuasion from her." He glared at Peach. "Now, if you value your kingdom and the people that live in it, I suggest you play along nicely and just say 'I do'. Both kingdoms will be in much better shape and I have a wonderful feeling we'll get along swimmingly if you cooperate." Peach gulped as she glanced at Bowser to his son, who glared at her.

"Never," she hissed. "I will never surrender myself to you! All you want is power, which you will never get as long as Mario and his friends are around!"

Bowser rolled eyes. "You do know," he hissed in her ear, "That one day, your friends will wither away. They can't keep defending this kingdom forever. They will fall under my wrath. So it is useless to keep on believing in false beliefs, so you might as well make the rest of your life worthwhile. Just say I do and get it over with." Peach shook her head. Bowser held his fist in the air. "Say it!"

"HEY!" a voice shouted. Bowser turned around. Mario and Yoshi stood in the doorway, glaring at him. The plumber hopped off the dinosaur and marched over to him.

Bowser growled. "What?! How are you still alive?! I kicked you so hard, you should be dead!"

Mario shook his head. "You're wrong to underestimate me, Bowser. I-a can come back from any blow you land on me. Now let my future wife go!"

Bowser laughed. "Never! I have worked too hard to get to where I am and there's no way you're ruining my second wedding, so get out of here before I beat you to a pulp!"

The plumber shook his head. "I don't-a think so." He glanced at Peach, who sighed with relief. "You call threatening my future wife's life a wedding? How much darker can you get?"

"I do what I must to get what I want," Bowser hissed. "If she won't submit to me, then maybe a little force will. Now leave. Now."

Mario shook his head. "No. I won't leave."

"Then I'll make you!" He lunged at the plumber with his arms outstretched. Mario dodged him as the Koopa King flew right past him. He turned around and swiped at him with his claws. The plumber ducked, but Bowser kept swiping at him every time he moved. He began huffing for air as his muscles started to give way, but continued to keep striking at him while Mario dodged every attack.

"Why the heck aren't you attacking?" Bowser growled. "You're not even attacking me! This isn't a game of 'dodge', it's a game of attack, so stop stalling and strike me already!" Mario ignored him and continued to dodge every swipe Bowser made. When the Koopa King was about to collapse, the plumber swung his fist to punch him, but Bowser blocked it. He smirked. "Look at you, trying to drain my energy and then attack me when I'm down. It's a very clever plan, but can also be very predictable. It's going to take a lot more than that to outsmart me!" He punched the plumber in the chest and sent him flying as he crashed in a faraway wall.

"Mario!" Peach called out in agony as she watched from the sidelines. The plumber shook his head and pulled out the bag Toadsworth gave him. He pulled out a Fire Flower. He absorbed the power-up as his pants turned red and the rest of his clothes remained white. Bowser growled and launched fireballs at him which he blocked by thrusting his fists. He sent out fireballs of his own at the Koopa King who dodged them with ease by jumping in the air. He landed on the ground and hopped into his shell. He hopped into the air, trying to crush Mario from above. Mario dodged him as the koopa smashed the ground, creating shockwaves which the plumber jumped over and sent out more fireballs.

Bowser punched the flames with his fists and laughed. "Your measly flames are nowhere near as powerful as mine! See if you can dodge this!" He began to launch fireballs everywhere in quick succession. They traveled at high speeds that Mario barely had time to dodge them in time when he collided with a couple of them and he flew into a different wall. He shook his head as he recovered from the impact. The impact caused the fire flower to dissipate. Bowser laughed as Mario stood up on his shaky feet, breathing heavily. "Ha! I knew that trick would work! I thought that overwhelming you with fireballs might've worked and it did! You have nowhere to run now!" He charged at him. Mario desperately looked around for the bag Toadsworth gave him and it across from the wall he flew in earlier. He dodged Bowser's attack just as he rammed straight into the wall, becoming dazed for a bit. Mario ran for the bag and pulled out whatever power-up was in the bag. He gasped when he pulled out a super star.

He scratched his head. "Where did Toadsworth get this?" Before he could guess, Bowser charged at him again. Without thinking, he absorbed the star as it disappeared. His body glowed as it flashed many colors of the rainbow. He stood up and waited for the right moment to punch him. When Bowser was in close range, the plumber ran at him at a fast speed and punched him straight in the chest with an enraged yell. The punch caused him to fly straight out of the castle, knocking the doors off their hinges as they crashed on the ground with a huge clang. He rolled along the ground and held on the edge of a cliff overlooking the spewing lava that bubbled below. Mario walked up to him and glared at him with eyes of burning rage as the effects of the star power-up vanished.

"H-help me!" Bowser cried as his fingers began to lose their grip on the edge as small pebbles fell. "I know we have a long and dark history with each other, but please help me! I promise that I won't hurt anyone else ever again! I don't want to die like this!"

"No!" Mario hollered as everyone else joined him as they watched from afar. "No longer will the Mushroom Kingdom will be haunted by your tyranny! My people and I have suffered enough!"

Bowser gasped as Mario continued to glare at him. "Oh, I get it," he said. "It's not just about saving the Mushroom Kingdom, but also your quarrel with me."

"About time you caught on!" the plumber hissed. "Throughout all my life, you have caused nothing but pain and misery to me and when I was about to marry the love of my life, you had to come in and ruin everything and I'm-a sick of it! The only way I'll even feel better is when I completely erase you from this world!" He held his foot in the air. "I've been waiting for this moment for the longest time! Say goodbye, flame breath!"

"No!" Peach and Bowser Jr. yelled, running to stop him by grabbing his arms, but Mario shoved them back and kicked him hard on the forehead, which sent Bowser flying into the lava below and landing with a loud splash, screaming in pain as the lava engulfed and sunk him until there was nothing left but lava bubbles.

"Papa!" Bowser Jr. shrieked as he looked below only to see nothing but spewing lava. He glared at the plumber, feeling his heart beat with rage. "You murderer!" he snarled, leaping at him with arms outstretched, trying to strangle him. "You killed my father! How dare you!" They wrestled on the ground, rustling and turning as Mario tried to shove him off. Eventually, the plumber shoved his feet upward at Bowser Jr.'s chest, sending him upward as he landed on the ground. He stood up and tried to run after him, but Kamek held him back with a grasp of his hand. He glared at the magikoopa. "What are you doing?! I order you to release me at once!"

"You need to stop!" Kamek yelled. "Killing him isn't going to bring your father back!"

"I don't care!" Bowser Jr. hissed, tugging at his arm. "Let me go!" Kamek refused to follow his order as he kept a firm grasp on his arm.

"Mario!" Peach yelled as she and Yoshi grabbed his arm. "We need to get out of here! You've already done enough damage!"

The plumber sighed. "Fine," he growled. "We'll leave." He took off running as Peach climbed on top Yoshi's back and he ran after the plumber.

"Yeah, that's right!" Bowser Jr. yelled as Mario took off. "Run away like a coward! I'll come after you and then you'll be mine! You just became the most wanted criminal on my list!"

"That's enough from you!" Kamek hissed. "That's not going to make the situation any better!"

The koopa huffed. "I don't care! He killed my father and he's going to pay! I'll get him and kill him no matter what the cost!"

"And what do you expect that will accomplish?" Kamek snorted. "You think that killing him will bring your father back? I hate to break it to you, but it won't, so there's no use pursuing that goal!"

Bowser Jr. snorted as he looked away. "I knew you wouldn't understand. You didn't love him as I did. You're just using that as an excuse to stop me."

A growl emerged in Kamek's throat. "Excuse me?!" he snarled, raising his voice. "In case you didn't know, I've been looking after your father ever since he was a little baby! I was the one who raised him and took him as my own, so you have no right to judge me like that!" He sighed. "Look," he continued in a softer tone. "I understand you want Mario dead, but that won't do yourself any good. I'm only trying to shed some light of reality on this situation. You need to think things through."

"Then what do you think I should do since you don't want me to kill Mario?!" Bowser Jr. shouted. "I only want to avenge my father for his death and Mario killed him! Since that's so, he should die as a result of his crimes!"

Kamek sighed. "First of all, you need to take some time to grieve for you father because that's what I will do. Trust me, I am just as shocked as you are, but you need to and honor him. That's what we need to do." He sighed. "If you still want to kill Mario, then I guess I will go along with it, if it's the only way to make you happy. Now come. You need to rest and wait for the others to come back." Bowser Jr. sighed and nodded as he walked back into the castle with the magikoopa.

**Mushroom Plains**

Peach slapped Mario as they arrived back into the Mushroom Plains on Yoshi. "What the heck were you thinking?! I don't understand why the heck you flat out killed Bowser like that! We could've worked out a compromise between you two, but no, you decide to murder him without thinking and I know you! You're not a person who kills, but a person who protects! Also, this goes against everything I taught you! Do you know how insulting that is to me?!"

"Look, I'm sorry, but I did what I had to do!" Mario hissed, rubbing his sore cheek. "I've had these feelings of hatred towards Bowser for the longest time, but I put them on hold because they would interfere with the protection of the kingdom, but when Bowser kidnapped you right during our wedding, that was the straw that broke my back and I couldn't hold my anger in anymore! Say what you want, but I had to get that stress out! You don't know how relieved I feel right now!"

Peach shook her head. "Still, I thought I taught you better than that! I've never seen you so selfish before! It seems like the kind-hearted person I once knew vanished in a second! Also, you didn't make things better, you made things worse! Because of your arrogance, you've now endangered the whole kingdom because now that Bowser Jr.'s going to assume the throne, he'll have your head for sure, and I guarantee you he'll do anything to make that happen, including killing millions of others until he gets his hands on you!"

The plumber's hard expression softened as he glanced at the princess. "Are you serious?" he murmured.

She glared at him with crossed arms. "Does it look like I'm serious to you? I guarantee Bowser Jr. will come after you will his forces unless you do something to amend your actions right now, and the chances of that happening are slim-to-none."

Mario sighed. "What have I done?" he softly whimpered. "Because of me, I have now endangered the kingdom and it's-a all my fault. I was so angry at Bowser that I didn't think about the consequences when I killed him. I don't deserve to be king." He wiped off a few tears as they entered the castle grounds. Fighting occurred all around them as they marched through. Soon, Mario hopped off Yoshi's back and yelled 'STOP!' on the top of his lungs. Soon, the fighting dissipated as everyone glanced at each other.

Ludwig scratched his head. "What is going on? What happened to Lord Bowser?" He stepped forward. "You better start explaining right now!"

Mario sighed as he stepped forward. "I have officially stopped Bowser from marrying Peach, but unfortunately as a result-" He paused as a lump emerged in his throat. "I killed him." Silence filled the air as everyone comprehended the plumber's words.

"What do you mean you killed him? He can't simply just die."

Mario sighed again. "I challenged him to a duel to the death and I killed him out of rage. I can't explain it any easier."

Ludwig tried to lung at him. "How dare you!" Wendy grabbed him by the arm. He glared at her. "What are you doing?" he hissed.

"We need to go," she said. "Bowser Jr.'s the next in line for the throne. We need to comfort and be there for him when he assumes it. Plus, this battle has dragged on long enough."

Ludwig sighed. "Fine. You all win this round, but you won't the next time we meet." He glanced at the minions. "Everyone, move out!" he ordered. Everyone climbed on their airships and they took off to Bowser's Castle.

After they left, Luigi glanced at his brother. "What do you mean you killed Bowser? Why would you ever do that?"

Peach stepped forward. "Because he was being stupid." She glared at the plumber. "Because Mario killed him, Bowser Jr. going to take over the throne for the Koopa Troop and now, he's going after Mario soon, no matter what it takes."

Everyone exchanged worried glances. Daisy glanced at Mario. "You're about to become king, so what should we do?"

"I don't-a know!" Mario screamed, getting on his knees as he sobbed. "During all these years, I've had to hold back my feelings of hatred towards Bowser so I can protect this kingdom, but ever since I stopped Bowser's marriage on the moon, my anger for him grew even more! When he captured her again just when I was about to get married, I couldn't hold it in anymore! I killed him and now I've got a huge target on my back and there's a huge possibility for war because of this! I don't deserve to be everyone's king!"

Peach walked up to him. "Mario," she said softly, touching his shoulder, "There is a way you can solve all this, but it requires you to do the biggest thing you have ever done: sacrificing your life for everyone else's. You vowed to protect everyone and if you give your life for everyone else, this whole thing can be avoided, you will be the biggest hero in the world."

The plumber looked at her. "What about you? What about my brother and everyone else? Who will protect the kingdom when I'm-a gone?"

"Don't-a worry about that," Luigi said, walking up to him. "Right now, you need to go up to Bowser Jr. and turn yourself in. That's what you need to do. Once when Bowser Jr. has you, then maybe will things be better."

Mario stood up, his legs shaking. "I don't-a know about that. I don't think Bowser Jr. will give up his dreams for world domination. That's not like him. Bowser was never like that." He began to back up a couple feet as he breathed heavily. "From this to becoming king, all this stress is really starting to get to me. I never felt so pressured to do many things in my life. I don't think I can handle it."

"Please." Peach started to whimper, walking to him. "If you don't do this, then the kingdom's really in danger. You must do this, for all our sakes."

"No. You don't understand," the plumber hissed. "No one does! I've been protecting this kingdom for all my life and I have never faced this kind of pressure before! I just don't think I can do it!"

Yoshi approached him. "Mario, we've never lost faith in you. You can't lose faith in yourself now. You are a very determined person who will do everything it takes to protect this kingdom. We've helped you in the past, but everyone looks up to you as a role model and protector." He held out his arm. "Don't abandon your people."

Mario shook his head, swatting the dinosaur's arm away. "Then maybe you should defend this kingdom yourselves for a change! Only then will you truly understand how I'm feeling!" He ran away from the castle grounds as everyone protested against him. Sweat of nervousness accumulated on his hands and head as his heart pounded fast with every footstep he strode. He ran towards the mountains in the distance.

Back at the castle, Peach began to run after him, but Rosalina stopped her. "That's enough," she chided. She glanced at everyone else. "That's enough from everyone. I know Mario's been under great stress, but you all were just adding fuel to the fire at a point where he just lost control. I understand that we're all in danger because of Mario, but pressuring him just worsens him further. In order to control the fire within him, we need to give him peace and space. Only then will he be able to accept what's been asked of him."

Everyone pondered on what she said. "You're right," Peach murmured. "We pressured him too much that he just broke down. It's up to us to get things straight when Mario's on his own. He will come to us in time." Everyone went inside the castle. Peach glanced at her engagement ring and grasped it. "I'm so sorry, Mario. Please come back to us soon."

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_Poor Mario and Bowser Jr. You probably wonder why I would put them through so much torment. Well, in the games, you hardly ever see them go through any real-life struggles other than Mario saving Peach from Bowser and Bowser Jr. kidnapping her. I wanted to flesh out them and other characters by giving them real-life struggles for them to overcome. That's why I said that Mario and other characters would be OOC so they can learn to overcome those obstacles and I hope the feelings I give them justify their actions. Thank you for reading this chapter. If you enjoy this story, make sure to leave a follow, favorite, or review! I'll see you on Saturday!_


	6. Chapter 6: The Rise of a New King

_Here is another chapter. Thank you everyone for showing your support for my story as it now has over 800 views, 10 follows, and 10 favorites! Now, enjoy!_

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Chapter 6: The Rise of a New King

**Dark Land: Bowser's Castle**

The ground shook as the Koopalings landed their airships and went inside the castle. They marched along the dark hallway when shrill cries echoed down the halls. Ludwig spotted Kamek as they entered the throne room. Wario and Waluigi sighed, shaking their heads as they stood beside him. The oldest Koopaling glanced at the empty throne chair where Bowser would usually reside. Everyone glanced at the ground with glum faces as Kamek approached them. The magikoopa sighed. "Today is a dark day in history." He glanced at a picture of Bowser. "Our leader has fallen at the hands of the enemy and now his only son has to assume the throne at such an early age. Such a tragedy."

"How's he doing?" Ludwig asked. "Does he need anything from us?"

Kamek nodded. "Yes. Our young leader could use some reassurance. I've done all I can to calm him. He's upstairs in his father's room."

Ludwig nodded. "Thank you, Kamek." The magikoopa nodded and walked away. The Koopaling turned to his siblings. "Come. Our future leader needs us." He led the way upstairs to Bowser's room where he slept. Dark curtains draped the windows as the master bed sat in the middle of the room. When they entered, Bowser Jr. cried on the floor, huddled in his father's blankets.

"Why did you have to leave?! I don't understand why Mario had to kill you! I'm not ready to lead! Please, I need your help! I want you back!"

"My lord," Ludwig said, bowing his head. "Forgive our intrusion, but we came to check on you. How are you feeling?"

Bowser Jr. glared at them. "How do you think I feel?! I just witnessed my father's death minutes ago and here you all are, asking how I feel?! I feel horrible! I don't why Mario flat out killed him like that!"

He continued to cry into the blankets when Ludwig approached and comforted him. "Don't worry, my lord," he said. "We will get revenge for what Mario did. There's no way he's getting away for the crime he's committed, but if I may offer you a piece of advice. I know you have a lot of burden on your shoulders, but if I may be honest, you are our leader now. Times are very tough right now and I ask you to be strong. You will have time to grieve, but you will soon have to accept the responsibility whenever you like it or not, but do not fret because we're all here for you every step of the way." All the Koopalings nodded in agreement. "Now, it's been very traumatic the past few days and I think that we all need some personal time to grieve, but we will capture Mario, you have my word. Now, my siblings and I will let you grieve because you need it."

Bowser Jr. stood up, throwing the blankets down. "No," he said firmly. "I don't have time to cry over my father's death. The only way I'll get over all this is when I see Mario's head on my wall. That's all I care about."

The Koopalings exchanged surprised looks. "Are you sure?" Roy asked. "We know you want revenge and all, but surely you want to grieve first, right? There's no need to-"

"I've made up my mind," Bowser Jr. hissed. "Tomorrow, we'll pay a visit to Peach's Castle where I'm going to have a little word with her. Now leave me."

Before Roy could protest, Ludwig bowed. "We will respect your decision, your majesty." They walked out of the room and down the hallway towards the throne room.

Roy scratched his head. "I'm not sure I agree with his decision. Don't you all think it's a little rash?"

"We will respect his decision," Ludwig said with a slight tone of annoyance. "We have no right to question it because he's the leader now, so drop it."

The pink Koopaling shrugged. "I'm just trying to be realistic. Just because I'm all brawn doesn't mean I have a brain as well."

"What, and he doesn't?" Wendy hissed. "I suggest you shush your mouth before you get a mouthful of punch from Morton." The gray Koopaling nodded and cracked his knuckles. The pink Koopaling stayed silent as he gave up. She huffed and smiled in response as they continued their trek.

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The next morning came quickly as Ludwig stirred due to a shrill voice yelling down the halls. "Wakey! Wakey, everyone!" Lemmy yelled as he skipped down the halls. "It's time to go visit the princess and Lord Bowser Jr. doesn't want anyone late!" He peeked inside Ludwig's room and saw him sleeping. "Get up, Ludwig!" he yelled, jumping impatiently. "Bowser Jr. wants us all down now and you're holding us up, so hurry!"

"All right!" Ludwig grumbled as he stood up. "Quit your yapping! I'm coming down!" Lemmy cheered in joy and exited the room. A couple minutes later, Ludwig went downstairs and outside where everyone was waiting for him.

Bowser Jr. huffed at him. "Ah, Ludwig. You finally decided to join us. How was your nap? I hope you enjoyed it, because the next time you're late, you're going to be doing something much worse than sleeping, you hear me? Don't forget that I'm in charge now, OK?" Ludwig growled softly and nodded. "Good," he said with a smile. He turned back to the others. "Now that you're all here, we can finally leave for Peach's Castle. Everyone, board an airship and let's go!" Everyone nodded as they criss-crossed with each other as they boarded an airship. After everyone was on board, the propellers started spinning as the ships took off the ground and headed to Peach's Castle. As they flew, Ludwig sighed as he began to share Roy's feelings about Bowser Jr.'s leadership skills.

**Peach's Castle**

Peach sighed as she sat on her throne with a picture of Mario in her hand. She gazed upon the plumber wearing his clad red shirt and blue pants with his signature red hat with his insignia on it. She gazed at the photo with many thoughts running in her head. The doors open when Toadsworth approached her. "How have you been, my dear?" he murmured. He saw Mario's photo. "Never mind," he said, turning away. "I already know how your feeling. You're feeling distressed, but you do know that if you need to talk, just let me know."

He was about to walk away when Peach ran and hugged him. "I am feeling distressed!" she cried. "Ever since Mario ran away, I haven't been myself! I haven't slept or eaten since! I've never felt so guilty in my entire life! I pressured him so much that he couldn't handle it and he ran away! I don't know why I feel so helpless sometimes! Sometimes, I wish I could save this kingdom by myself, but I can't and I don't know why!"

"There, there," Toadsworth murmured as he held her around his arms. "Everything will be alright. Soon, all of this will be over. Mario will return to you soon and he'll put a stop to the Koopa Troop."

"Oh, will he?" a high voice scoffed. The elderly Toad turned around. Bowser Jr. and the Koopalings entered the castle doors.

"Who granted you entrance to here?" Toadsworth hissed. "Guards, seize them!"

Bowser Jr. huffed. "Don't even think about it. They have all been taken care of, so there's nowhere to run."

Peach sighed as she held tears back. "If you're going to capture me, just do it now and get it over with."

Bowser Jr. snorted. "Don't be stupid. I've seen my father do that for years and look where that got him, ending up falling into the lava of a cliff. There's no way I'm doing that stupid thing anymore."

The princess looked at him in surprise. "Then why are you here?"

"It's pretty simple," he said, walking to her. "You see, after Mario killed my father, I officially declared him a wanted criminal, so here's a warning. I want Mario at my doorstep, alive. If he's not there by the next 24 hours, consider that a declaration-of-war against the Koopa Troop." He began to walk out of the doors when he looked back at Peach. "Tomorrow will be here before you know it. I suggest you start searching now if you want to protect your people."

Peach scratched her head. "Why can't you send out search parties yourself if you want him so bad?"

The koopa snorted. "Like I'll tell my reasons to you. Don't come crying to me saying I didn't give you fair warning." He glanced at his troops. "Everyone, move out!" he ordered, slamming the doors behind him after everyone else left.

Peach glanced at Toadsworth. "What should I do? I know that even if we manage to find Mario, we're not going to persuade him in time because that'll put even more stress on his shoulders and he already has enough! Please, I need help!"

"Peach," Toadsworth said softly, "You have been in charge of this very kingdom for years and I have seen you grow and mature. You don't need to seek my help. Trust your experience to make the right decision."

Peach sighed. "OK. I guess my best bet is to go on a search for him. I'll go find my friends at once!"

Toadsworth nodded. "Now you're thinking." She left the throne room to find her friends.

* * *

Later, Peach managed to gather her friends and after she told them about the threat Bowser Jr. made, they glanced at her in worry. "Is Bowser Jr. serious?" Luigi asked. "He's willing to wage war against us if we don't-a bring Mario to him?" His teeth chattered. "What if we don't find him in time? What happens then? What if-"

"Luigi," Peach said, "Let's not think about that right now. Our main priority is that we need to find Mario and bring him to Bowser Jr. because right now, we are in no shape of fighting a war. We _have_ to find Mario. We need to split up into groups and start searching for him because we have a lot of ground to cover, literally. So let's go ahead and partner up then we'll decide where to start." After a couple minutes of discussions, everyone determined their partners. "So," Peach said once everyone was settled, "To make things faster and easier, I recommend where we think Mario would go so we can narrow places down. Let's start with places he won't go. Obviously, he won't go into Dark Land because that's the place he's going to avoid. Anyone else have suggestions?"

Rosalina nodded. "Yes, after the whole confrontation with Mario, I specifically remember him taking off towards some mountains in the distance." She looked at Peach. "Do you remember that instance? I stopped you from running after him."

The pink princess gasped. "Yes, your right ! He must've headed off towards the Rock-Candy Mines! I can't believe I didn't remember that!"

"I know," Rosalina said. "That kind of makes sense because if he wants some place of solitude, from what I've read in my library, there must be some sort of caves where he could rest and recuperate. Also, it seemed like he was just going to the first place he saw."

Peach sighed. "At least we know where he is. Now, we must head there and start searching . The break of night draws near. Let's get going."

"I, however, can't help out with the search," Daisy said. The others turned to her with confused looks. She sighed. "Look, forgive me for saying this, but I have been away from my kingdom for far too long and I gotta return, but let me tell you something. If you need help, send out word and I will send a couple battalions of soldiers. You have my word. I'd hate to see you guys lose."

"We understand," Peach said. "Go back to Sarasaland. We have this taken care of and will send word out if this whole thing doesn't work out. Thank you for your help."

Daisy nodded. "No problem. I wish you all the best of luck. Beat Bowser Jr. for me." The others nodded as she left the castle and began their trek towards the mountains.

**Rock-Candy Mines**

They passed the plains and entered the mountain range that stretched for miles on end. Rocks piled on top of each other like dominoes as a vast canyon covered the land. Jagged mountain tops stretched far and wide some looked like they touched the sky. Water flowed between the land as waterfalls poured out on the side of cliffs, providing a drinking source for fish and other wild animals that lived in the mountains. Shrubbery covered the ground of the canyon.

Luigi turned towards the others. "These mountains look huge! Mario could be anywhere! There's no way we can find him in time!"

"That doesn't mean we should just give up!" Yoshi said. "We have to at least try to find him. Come on, Luigi! He's your brother! Have faith!" The green plumber sighed and nodded.

"OK," Peach said. "We have a lot of ground to cover. Go with your partners and start looking, but don't get lost. I can't afford to lose any of you guys, you understand?" They nodded. "Good, now let's start looking." They traveled off in separate ways and began their search.

"Mario!" Peach shouted as she walked through the mountainside with Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong. She glanced at the deep jagged rocks. She kicked off her shoes and began to scale the mountain.

"Do you need help climbing, your majesty?" Donkey Kong asked.

She shook her head. "No. I have this side. Start climbing the other mountains. We need to search every single one of them!" They nodded and climbed the other mountains. They glanced into every single cave that was there, but after an hour of searching, they only covered a small part of the mountain range. She sighed as she landed on the ground. In the distance, she saw Rosalina and Toadette walk up to her. "Any sign of him?" Peach asked.

Rosalina shook her head. "No. We searched through every mountain down that way." She pointed off in the distance. "Still no sign of him. Who knew this mountain range is so huge."

Peach sighed. "Then I don't see how we're going to find him in time. All the mountains look the same."

"Please don't fret," Toadette said. "We'll find him. Please be patient. Hopefully, the others are making some progress." Peach nodded as she glanced at the sky. The sun was still high in the sky, which meant they still had a couple more hours of searching. She hoped that Toadette was right.

* * *

"Brother!" Luigi yelled as he and Toad walked through the mountain range. "Bother, it's me, Luigi! Please show yourself!"

"Shouting isn't going to help much," Toad said. "From what I've heard, he's most likely not going to come out to us because of what he's been through." The plumber glared at him. "What?!" Toad exclaimed. "I'm just trying to be realistic! That's what I would do if I were in his situation!" He sighed. "Look, the best thing we can do is look around for any signs of him. Surely, he couldn't have gone far."

Luigi snorted. "I highly doubt that." He continued walking calling out Mario's name while Toad walked up behind him, sighing. After a couple more hours of searching and shouting, they eventually caught up with Yoshi and Birdo. "Hey, guys," Luigi said, waving to them. "Any signs of him?"

Yoshi shook his head. "No, we haven't found any trace of him. No footprints. Nothing. It seems like he knew that we were going to try to find him, so he wanted to get as far away from us as possible. At this rate, we're never going to find him and we've been searching for hours!"

Birdo sighed. "Sooner or later, the sun's going to set, so we're gonna need to meet back up with the others. We can search a little longer, but we don't want to get lost, so let's continue for a couple more hours then let's head back." Luigi and Toad nodded and the four resumed their search.

* * *

Night time came as the sun set across the horizon. Luigi and the others walked around, looking for Peach and the others. "So… tired," said Luigi, heaving. "Where's Peach and the others?"

"Look!" Toad pointed to smoking rising into the sky. "There must be a camp set there!"

Luigi nodded. "Worth checking out." They wandered through the mountains and entered a camp where Peach and the others set up a campfire. "I take it you all didn't find him," the plumber said as he took a seat at the campfire that was made.

The pink princess shook her head. "Unfortunately, yes. We didn't find him. Bowser Jr.'s not going to be happy when he finds out that we don't have him. What are we going to do? There's no way of telling where he's going to strike first."

"That's why I say we should head back to the castle at dawn," Rosalina said. "If we want to be prepared, then we're gonna need to be at the castle by the time the attacks start. So, everyone, get a good night's sleep because we're going to need it." Everyone nodded in agreement as they laid on the hard ground and went to sleep.

**Dark Land: Bowser's Castle**

Bowser Jr. sat on his throne and tapped his foot and drummed his fingers while waiting for Peach to show up with Mario. He groaned. "What's taking them so long? They've had all day and night to find him! It shouldn't take this long!"

"Patience, your youthfulness," Kamek said. "I'm sure they will come. They wouldn't just endanger the whole kingdom. I'm sure they're on their way."

Bowser Jr. stood up. "That's it!" he hissed. "I'm done waiting! I gave them more than enough time to find him!" He glared at Kamek. "Get everyone in the conference room! It's time to start planning for this war!" The magikoopa bowed and exited the throne room. The koopa laughed. "You've just earned your demise, Mushroom Kingdom! I will avenge my father and conquer the kingdom in his name! It's time for war!" He ran to the conference room, jumping and shouting with glee.

* * *

Bowser Jr. huffed as he gazed at the mushroom plains. They've been in the air for a couple hours after putting together a plan with Kamek and the others. Ever since they left the castle, all he thought about was Mario and his actions because that's why he's going to start this war in the first place. He clenched his fist as he imagined Mario up in chains and the whole plains burned to the ground. "Lord Junior," Kamek said from the crow's nest. The koopa looked at the magikoopa. "We're approaching our destination. We need to be ready!"

Bowser Jr. nodded. "Thank you!" He glanced at his minions. "Get the ammunition ready! We're approaching the village!" They nodded and headed below decks. He glanced back at Kamek. "Spread word to the other ships so they can be ready as well!" The magikoopa nodded and took off on his broom towards the other ships. Bowser Jr. smiled. "Look out, Mushroom Kingdom, this war's about to have an explosive kickoff!"

* * *

_Thank you for reading this chapter! Things really start to kick off as we enter the war phase of this story. If you're enjoying this story, make sure you leave a favorite, follow, or review! See you next Friday!_


	7. Chapter 7: The Start of the War

_Dbot here with another chapter. Read on to see how the war phase kicks off._

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Disclaimer: Mario is Nintendo's property, not mine.

Chapter 7: The Start of the War

**Goomba Village**

Goombario stretched his legs as he walked out of his room. He walked outside his house. Around him, the village buzzed with activity as goombas worked. Ever since he helped Mario defeat Bowser on his adventure, he accepted other Goombas that weren't on Bowser Jr.'s side and he and his family helped them build houses, thus expanding the village. His father, Goompapa, chopped some wood for some new residents. "Hey, Goombario!" he called. "Put some wood in the wheelbarrow and deliver them to the others so they can nail them to the roofs!"

His son nodded and piled the wood on the wheelbarrow and wheeled them to the house when he caught something in the corner of his eye. He gasped and ran back to his father. "Dad!" he yelled. "There's something coming towards us!"

"What are you talking about?" Goompapa hissed, walking to him. "I thought I sent you to deliver the wood, now get going!"

"I'm serious! Look at the sky!"

Goompapa rolled his eyes. "There's nothing-" He dropped his ax. "Oh no." He gazed at the airships approaching the village, waving black flags with Bowser's insignia on them. He glanced at Goombario. "Go! Tell the others! Hurry!"

He nodded and ran to the other villagers, who were busy chatting with each other while others were building the houses. "Mom!" he yelled. "We've got trouble coming! Bowser's forces are coming to destroy us!"

His mother, Goomama, stopped her conversation and glared at him. "What the heck are you yapping at? There's no-" Before she could finish, a bob-omb was launched by one of the airships and landed on the ground with a loud crash, sending goombas and dirt flying. Soon, the dust cleared as everyone stood up and coughed. "Is everyone alright?" she asked. Before anyone else could respond, more bob-ombs crashed and exploded on the ground, destroying houses and engulfing the ground with fire. A couple airships landed on the ground and latches were lowered. Bowser Jr.'s minions ran after the fleeing Goombas running for their lives.

"Capture every single Goomba in the area!" the koopa yelled. "Destroy every house in the vicinity! Make sure no one escapes!"

Screams echoed the day sky as Goombario ran around the flaming area, looking for his family. "Mom! Dad!" he yelled amongst the madness. "Goombaria! Gooma! Goompa!" He ran into a couple Shy Guys, who swung their spears trying to hit him. He ducked and head-bonked them before kicking them, which sent them flying. He continued to call out his family when one of them screamed his name.

"Goombario!" his father shouted as two Hammer Bros tumbled on him so he wouldn't escape.

His son ran to him. "Dad!" he called, running to him. "I'm coming!" The two Hammer Bros took off towards the airship. Goombario growled, determined not to lose his father. Something rammed into him, tripping him over.

Iggy pinned the Goomba to the ground. He laughed. "You want your father? You're gonna have to get through me!"

Goombario tried to wriggle free. One-by-one, the minions ran back to the airships with the screaming Goombas in hand. "Iggy!" Bowser Jr. called to him. "We're about to leave! Nab the Goomba and get to your airship!" The propellers spun as the airships lifted off the ground and took off.

Iggy chuckled. "I guess that leaves just you and me!" He reached down to grasp him, but Goombario bit his arm. The Koopaling cried in pain as he clutched his arm. Goombario then whacked him in the chest before running into the forest. The Koopaling growled. "That sly Goomba's not getting away from me!" He ran after him and released a green shot at Goombario, who ducked as it hit a tree, bursting into flames. They ran through the forest. Goombario cut through the trees and stumbled upon a brick road. He ran along, unknown of where it would lead. Iggy glanced around the forest, having lost sight of the goomba. He sighed. "Man, I lost him." He shrugged. "Doesn't matter now. Off to the next village!" He ran through the forest towards his airship, laughing.

**Mushroom Plains**

Peach sighed as she and her friends wandered through the plains after coming back from the Rock-Candy Mines after an unsuccessful search for Mario. She groaned as she collapsed on the ground, exhausted from all the walking she was doing. "Let's take a small break, then we'll continue our trek."

Yoshi nodded, grabbing his stomach as it growled. "So hungry."

"We must keep going," Rosalina insisted, who showed little signs of exhaustion. "I can see the castle from here. We're almost there." She pointed into the distance. "Come on. We don't know when this war's going to start and we must be prepared."

Peach sighed. "Fine, we'll go now." She stood up with all her might and the group marched on into Toad Town. When they arrived, someone screamed. A young Goomba with a blue cap on ran through the streets, startling many Toads. "Help!" he yelled. "Somebody, help me!" He ran up to one of the Toads. "Where's Mario? I have to see him!"

One Toad shrugged. "No one has seen him since yesterday. Try finding Princess Peach. Maybe she'll know."

The Goomba nodded. "Thank you, Mister!" He ran down the street towards the castle.

Luigi glanced at Peach. "Do you recognize him?"

She shrugged. "Maybe, but we'd better head into the castle." They ran down the streets and into the castle. They went into the throne room and ran to Toadsworth, who was strolling around.

"Thank goodness you're here," he said. "A Goomba just asked me where you were and I just sent him to your room. You better hurry and catch up to him." She nodded and ran out of the throne room and ran upstairs. The goomba entered Peach's room.

She ran inside the room. "Hey!" she said. "I heard you were looking for me."

The Goomba whipped around and sighed with relief. "Princess! Thank goodness I found you!"

Peach examined the goomba further. "Wait a minute. Aren't you the Goomba that helped Mario stop Bowser when he took the Star Rod?"

He nodded. "Yep. Name's Goombario! I didn't come here for that. My family's been kidnapped!" Peach's eyebrows raised. "A fleet of airships came and attacked my village! Everyone except me got captured and I'm scared! Please, princess, find them!"

Everyone else entered the room. "What's happened?" Toad asked.

Peach sighed. "The war's already started. Bowser Jr. attacked his village and captured everyone. He's the only survivor." The others gasped in shock.

"What are we going to do?" Luigi asked.

Peach shook her head. "No more!" she hissed. "I will no longer have the Koopa Troop terrorize my kingdom! I've been too afraid to face them, but since Bower Jr.'s decided to pick on my citizens, I know now that I have to stop acting like a damsel-in-distress and fight for my kingdom! We will stop the Koopa Troop for good, by hopefully coming to a peaceful resolution," she added, "But either way, they must be stopped!" The others exchanged surprised glances. She glanced at Goombario. "Don't worry," she said. "We'll get your family and everyone else back. I promise. Do you know where they're going next?" The goomba shook his head. She sighed.

"Why would he need to capture the Goombas?" Yoshi asked. "That doesn't make any sense."

Rosalina shrugged. "I don't know. There's always a motive behind someone's actions, so maybe he's using for some sort of plan he has."

"Or maybe reinforcements," Peach said. "He could be running low on them since he has to restock, or perhaps use them for what you said, Rosalina, because think about it, Goombas are a typical minion of the Koopa Troop, so why else would he get more of them? Plus, that might not be the only village he's targeting, so we have to find out where he's going next and defend the village before he could get more minions, otherwise, we could be at a total disadvantage in future battles."

"So how are we going to find out where the next village he's targeting next?" Luigi asked. "There are many villages in the Mushroom Kingdom. It would take a lot of time to go to every village until we find him."

Peach nodded. "I know. If he's collecting minions for whatever plan he has, then he'll target villages that contain other common troops."

"Like Koopa Troopas," said Luigi. "That's another common enemy my brother and I encountered." He sighed.

"So there must a Koopa Village somewhere. That seems like our best bet." Peach glanced at Rosalina. "Will you help me?"

She nodded. "Of course. I know I told my Lumas that I'll return after the wedding, but I can't abandon my friends for a war that could turn deadly, so you have my support. Lubba will have to look after them longer."

Peach nodded and turned to the Kongs. "What about you guys? I know you might want to return to your island, but are you willing to help me?"

Donkey Kong nodded. "Of course. Soon, he might target my island, so I want him defeated before he gets there, even though that might not be a possibility." Yoshi nodded as well.

Peach smiled. "Great! Let's head out." Everyone but Luigi nodded and exited towards the door. Peach turned to him. "Aren't you coming with us?"

He shook his head. "No. I have to find Mario. Ever since he left, I've been worried sick for him and I need to try to persuade him to come home. He needs to be with us. He can't be living by himself. He might die. I have to try."

She sighed. "OK, go find him. I miss him. Make sure you pack yourself a bag for food and water. I wish you luck. He went towards the mountains. Head there." She hugged him. "Bring him home."

"Don't-a worry," Luigi said. "I'll get him home." He left the castle with Peach following him. He went towards the mountains.

Yoshi glanced at her. "Where's he going?"

"To find Mario," she said with a smile. "We, on the other hand, have a village to save!" They ran out of the castle grounds to save another village from facing a gruesome fate the other village did.

* * *

They ran through the plains as Peach scoured a map she picked up before leaving. "How much longer till we get there?" Yoshi asked. "We must be getting close."

The princess's eyes shifted, trying to keep track. "It seems we're almost there. It's hard to tell for sure." They ran through the plains for a couple more hours before the sky rumbled. "What's going on?!" she shouted, glancing around.

"Look!" Rosalina said, pointing at the sky. The fleet of airships flying in the sky. "The airships are already on their way to the village! We must hurry!" They continued to run, following the ships until they stopped, casting ominous shadows over the villages. Koopa Troopas walked out of their houses and shivered with fright when Bowser Jr. jumped off his airship and approached them.

Peach rumbled her throat. "We need to save them!"

"No!" Rosalina hissed, grabbing her arm. "We can't go rushing out there! We're badly outnumbered! We can't take them all on! We need a plan!" The pink princess sighed. "Let's watch and see what happens," the white princess said in a softer tone. Peach nodded. She glanced back at Bowser Jr.

"Leave us alone!" a blue-shelled Koopa Troopa wearing a red bandana around his neck hissed while many other Koopa Troopas cowered behind him. "I've faced bad guys like you and I'll do it again! We just want to live in peace, so leave us be!"

The bandana koopa laughed. "I'm sorry, but that's not on my schedule. I have something to collect and if you decide to fight back, then you will suffer a worse fate than what I have planned for you." He glanced at the airships. "Round them all out!" he ordered. Minions jumped off their airships and ran at the Koopa Troopas, who ran for their lives. The blue-shelled Koopa growled and charged at them while retreating in his shell, ramming into a couple minions as they flew into different directions. Bowser Jr. growled as he rammed into the blue-shelled koopa. "You wanna play with my minions? Then you're gonna have to go through me!" He pulled out his magic paintbrush and twirled it in his hand. He swung it at the koopa, knocking him back. The koopa ran and punched him back before retreating in his shell to charge up a spin attack. He charged at Bowser Jr., ramming into his stomach as he gagged. He flew into a nearby house, causing it to fall off its structure as it caved on him. He emerged from the wood and glass and glared at the airships. "Fire all ammunition! Burn this village to the ground!" He ran at the koopa again with his paintbrush in hand. Bullet bills erupted from the airship cannons as they zoomed and crashed on the ground, exploding nearby houses.

Peach gasped as massive destruction reigned. "We have to take out those airships! Does anyone have a plan?"

Rosalina raised her hand. "Maybe we can ambush one of those airships and fire upon them, destroying the whole fleet. Yes, I don't like the fact of taking lives, but it's for the best that we shorten his army's supplies so we can end this war quicker. Besides, the army seems to be quite distracted, so now's the opportune time to attack."

Peach nodded. "That sounds like our best bet. We'll split up and take on a couple airships. Rosalina and I will take on one ship. Yoshi, Donkey Kong, and Diddy Kong will take another. Let's go!" They ran after two random airships. Rosalina teleported Peach onto one while Donkey Kong threw Yoshi and Diddy Kong into another before climbing on it. Peach charged at a couple Shy Guys and slapped them before kicking them back into the mast of the airship.

Rosalina glanced at Peach while creating a force-field, protecting her from incoming Hammer Bro attacks. "I thought you weren't into fighting." She charged at them and blasted them away with starbit blasts.

Peach shrugged as she ducked a charging paratroopa before kicking it into some running goombas. "I couldn't just stand by and watch my kingdom be terrorized any longer, so I decided that enough was enough and I had to start fighting back. I know it's very different, but my kingdom needs me and I'll do anything it takes to defend it." Rosalina smiled at her change in character. They continued fighting through many minions, throwing them overboard until they went under deck. Shelves full of bob-ombs and bullet bills stacked next to cannons that the minions filled in before putting in cannon powder and firing them off. Peach charged at a Koopa Troopa as it filled a cannon with powder and knocked it back. It knocked into shelves of explosives, knocking them down. Rosalina gasped and cast a spell from her wand, slowing the explosives' pace as they landed on the ground. Peach wretched.

"Be careful!" she hissed. "Those are explosives you're working with! You could've killed us now, so please be careful where you launch your enemies!" Peach nodded. More enemies continued to run at them as they fended them off with attacks.

After they were all defeated, Peach scratched her head. "So how do we set off these explosives without having them blow up in our faces?"

Rosalina rolled her eyes. "Observe." She grabbed a bullet bill and placed it into the cannon. She filled the cannon with the powder. "There," she said. "Now it's ready to fire. Now let's do that to the rest of them." They divided the cannons between themselves and filled all the cannons with the explosive and cannon powder. She nodded when they finished. "Excellent. Now I'll head upstairs and will give you the signal to ignite the cannons. Be ready on my mark!" Peach nodded. Rosalina smiled and headed towards the steering wheel of the ship.

* * *

Yoshi stuck out his tongue and consumed two Fire Bros. He burped. "Ah! Lunch never felt so good!" He ran to a couple Koopa Troopas and consumed them. He threw their shells at more minions, knocking them over like bowling pins. He cheered.

"Feel the power of my fists!" Donkey Kong yelled, whacking enemies with his huge fist while Diddy Kong fired peanuts from his guns, creating explosions as minions flew in different directions. When the smoke cleared, the three went down below deck and observed the minions filling up the cannons. Yoshi wrapped his tongue around one of a Shy Guy's legs and swung him around, knocking them into the walls before throwing the Shy Guy into the explosives, knocking them down as they exploded.

Yoshi gasped. "Oops. Time to skedaddle!" They ran through the exploding ship, jumping off it as it exploded in the air. The blazed parts of wood fell to the ground. The dinosaur gasped as he and the Kongs stood up. He glanced at the burning pile of wood. "There goes our element of surprise," he said.

"What the heck was that?!" Diddy Kong hissed. "Now they know about our presence!"

Bowser Jr. jumped at the sight of the explosion. "What the heck was that?!" The burning ship crashed on the ground, the three laying next to it. He growled. "So, Peach and her forces decided to stop my invasion. How amusing. Well, I can't let them do that, now can I?" The blue-shelled koopa yelled and ran at him before Jr. whacked him away. He walked to the koopa. "You're not worth my time anymore. I have bigger problems to deal with." He ran away before the koopa could protest.

* * *

"How much longer are you going to be?" Peach asked as she tapped her foot near the cannons. "We need to destroy this fleet as soon as possible!"

"I'm trying!" Rosalina hissed from above. She glanced at the system full of buttons next to the wheel. "Still trying to figure out how this works!"

Peach rolled her eyes. She walked upstairs before something exploded. She gasped as the ship collapsed. She ran to Rosalina. "The others are there!" she yelled. "We have to save them!"

Rosalina looked at her. "Trust me. I know. I'm sure they got off before it exploded, but listen. I think I have an idea of how to stop the fleet, but it's a bit risky. I don't know how this system works, so if we ram this ship into the others, it will cause a chain reaction destroying the whole fleet, so when I give the word, I'll ram the ship and teleport us off." Peach nodded. Rosalina spun the wheel as the ship turned starboard. "Grab my hand!" she said. Peach grabbed it and teleported away as the ship rammed into another one, causing the propellers to fly off as cracks emerged from both ships. Both ships exploded, causing a rumble in the sky, destroying other nearby ships.

Bowser Jr. growled as he ran to Yoshi. "How dare you destroy my fleet!" he yelled, punching the dinosaur. He flew threw a roof and out the other side since the house was small. He stood up and rolled into an egg and slammed into the koopa, who rolled along the ground.

"I do what I must to help my friends!" he hissed. "If it means limiting your resources, then so be it!" Bowser Jr. huffed. Before he could run at him, the sky started to boom as more ships exploded. Peach and Rosalina teleported on the ground.

Bowser Jr. glared at them. "So you're the ones destroying my fleet." He got into a fighting stance. "I'm going to make you pay for what you've done!"

Peach huffed. "What makes you so sure? Look at your fleet." The koopa glanced around. "Half of your fleet is gone. You have nowhere to go."

The koopa laughed. "Don't be ridiculous! I can always take you guys on! Bring it on!"

Kamek rushed in to stop him. "Your majesty, wait! You can't take them all on! We must retreat!"

"What?!" Bowser Jr. exclaimed. "I'm not leaving until I finish what I came for and I'm not letting these dweebs stand in my way!"

Kamek growled. "Look around you! The Koopa Troopas are starting to fight back!" The koopa glanced. Koopa Troopas everywhere retreated into their shells and rammed into approaching enemies while others were punching and shoving their opponents to the point where the minions started retreating. The airships that were on the ground started taking off back to the castle. "Your army's retreating," the magikoopa said. "We have no chance at winning this battle. We need to leave."

Bowser Jr. sighed. "Fine." He glared at his enemies. "Mark my words," he growled. "You may have won this battle, but you haven't won this war! I'll make sure that I strike you with tenfold amount of rage as you did to my airships the next time we meet! I guarantee that!" He and Kamek ran to the only airship left and headed back to his castle.

The Koopa Troopas cheered as Peach sighed. "We did it! We won!"

"But we haven't seen the last of him," Rosalina said. "I suggest we head back to the castle and figure out our next step. We did all we could do here." Peach nodded.

The blue-shelled Koopa Troopa approached her. "Thank you, princess," he said, bowing. "Without your help, I don't think we would've made it. If you need troops for the war, I swear you have our help." The other Koopa Troopas bowed behind him.

Peach smiled. "Thank you. If we need your help, you will be called upon. I have a suggestion for you all. Just because we stopped Bowser Jr. doesn't mean he might strike again, so for the time being, I am offering you all space at the castle for safekeeping. I'm sure we can find a space for you all." The Koopa Troopas cheered and everyone walked to the castle.

* * *

"Why the heck did you stop me from attacking them?!" Bowser Jr. hissed as he and the rest of his fleet that survived the attack on the village headed back to Bowser's Castle. "I could've taken them on! You didn't have to hold me back!"

"I did what I had to do," Kamek said. "We were starting to lose the moment your ships started blowing up and if we were still there, we wouldn't have had any resources left going towards future battles. You need to learn to know when you're beaten."

Bowser Jr. crossed his arms. "But still! I could've taken them on! I don't need you to look after me!"

"No!" Kamek hissed. "You are still young! Until you're an adult, I will be in charge of looking after you, so deal with it! You don't have enough experience to lead and make decisions, either! Do you not remember that I was the one who created the whole plan? You asked for my help, for crying out loud, so until you're more experienced and older, I will keep my eye on you! Now stop your complaining!" He sighed. "Look," he said. "I know you just became leader of the Koopa Troop, but you desperately need help. It's obvious that you need it and I want to help you. You wanna know how your father became a great leader? Because he had help from me, and if you want to follow in his footsteps, you have to listen to me, OK? Can you do that to me?"

Bowser Jr. sighed. "Fine. I'm sorry. I just want to avenge my father."

"And you will," the magikoopa said. "I promise you we will. Mario's not going to get away with this forever."

"It's not just Mario who I blame." Kamek glanced at him. "I blame everyone for his death, especially Peach. If she just did what my father said, we wouldn't be in this mess. Also, I want to accomplish what papa tried to do his whole life. That's the whole reason why I started this war."

Kamek scratched his head. "I didn't know about that, but how about this? It's been a rough couple of hours and we aren't ready to stage another attack. I think we need to take a couple days rest because it's been so stressful. Let's take a break and rethink our strategy for battles going forward."

Bowser Jr. nodded. "OK, let's do that." As the castle came into view, Kamek sighed with relief.

* * *

_And with that, we have entered the war phase of this story. This story will be filled with a lot more action. Make sure you leave a follow, favorite, or a review if you're enjoying my story! Remember, constructive criticism is also appreciated if you see something that needs improving! See you on Thursday for the next chapter!_


	8. Chapter 8: Battle of the Islands

_Happy Halloween! I hope you all are having a nice day and ready for another chapter because it's here! Thank you all for getting this story over 5 reviews and 1000 views! All are appreciated! Now, enjoy!_

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Disclaimer: Mario is Nintendo's property, not mine.

Chapter 8: Battle of the Islands

**Peach's Castle**

Toadsworth sighed as Peach and the others enter the room. "Thank goodness you guys are alright! I was beginning to worry and send out help until you came back! How were things?"

"OK, I guess," Peach said. "We managed to fend off Bowser Jr.'s ships for a bit, causing them to retreat. Also, we brought back some helps for future battles." All the Koopa Troopas they rescued ran around the castle, gazing at it.

"Whoa," Toadsworth said. "That's a lot you rescued. An excellent job, Peach. This proves that you're capable of looking after yourself. A job well done to all of you." He paused. "I now forsee a problem. We can't fit all these Koopa Troopas in the castle. We need to put them somewhere else."

"That's why I'm leaving you in charge of that," Peach said. "My friends and I have plans to make, so you figure something out." She walked upstairs down a hallway that led to the dining room. Toadsworth sighed.

"Come," he said to the Koopa Troopas. "It's time to take you to your new home."

"OK," Peach said once everyone arrived into the dining room and took their seats, "I know that it's been a rough couple of hours, but I want to make sure that everyone's caught up to speed on things so we can discuss our future plans going forward. So far, we know that Bowser Jr.'s been collecting minions for some sort huge plan of his. So moving forward, does anyone have legitimate concerns that we need to discuss?"

Rosalina raised her hand. "I do. In this past battle, it took us quite a bit to make them retreat because it was just us fighting. If we're going to have a chance at winning this war, I suggest we recruit soldiers to fight on our side. They all need to know the danger they're in and help us because we can't take on Bowser Jr.'s army by ourselves. We need help."

Peach scratched her head. "OK. How do you suppose we do that? We can't go door to door asking for help. There has to be other ways."

"And there are," Rosalina said. "Couldn't you just create some sort of draft requiring citizens to join the army? To me, that's the easiest way."

Peach scratched her head. "I could, but I don't know how they will react. Many of my citizens hate violence, especially the Toads. I don't think that'll work."

"Look, we need troops. Just persuade them to fight back. Explain to them the situation and hopefully they'll catch on."

Peach sighed at Rosalina's words. "OK. I guess it's worth a try. If there's nothing else to discuss, then I'll create the draft."

* * *

The next couple of days flew by as Peach officially signed a draft into law requiring Mushroom Kingdom citizens to sign up for the army, which scared many of the residents. Many posters were printed and plastered throughout Toad Town. At the castle grounds, many citizens chatted with themselves while they waited for Princess Peach. In the castle, she took a deep breath before stepping outside with Toadsworth. The chatter quieted down as Peach began to speak. "Listen, everyone. I do thank you all for coming on such short notice and I know that the draft for an army seems a bit auspicious, but let me make things clear. A couple days ago, the Koopa Troop made their first strike against the Mushroom Kingdom by attacking a couple villages, gathering army troops for this war. I can tell you he has something huge planned and I need help defending this kingdom. I know you're all scared, rest assured I am, but let me tell you, this kingdom needs your help. Mario is gone and it's up to us to protect this kingdom, even if that's means he's never coming back, but I can assure you we can win this war. With the right training, we can succeed in standing up against the Koopa Troop! Who's with me?" Silence filled the courtyard as no one raised their hand. Peach crossed her arms. "No one's willing to help us?"

"You're asking us to put ourselves on the front lines," a Toad said. "I don't think I can do that!" Everyone else murmured in agreement.

Peach was about to protest when Rosalina stepped forward. "Allow me," she said. The pink princess nodded. "Everyone!" she yelled. Everyone turned to her. "Look, I know you all are feeling scared, but trust her. She was the one that decided to change her attitude and take down a part of a fleet by herself. She has the courage to do what's right. She was terrified, but she felt her courage overtake her. Trust me when I say that she's no longer the damsel-in-distress anymore. If she can stand up to them, then so can you all. Yes, you guys might lack fighting skills, but that can be fixed. We can win this, but we need your effort! Now, are you with us?"

A couple moments of silence passed before someone cheered, "For the Mushroom Kingdom!" before being followed by everyone else's cheers. Peach smiled.

She looked at Rosalina. "Thank you."

She nodded. "Anytime, friend."

**A Couple Days Later...**

Bowser Jr. walked back and forth as he glanced at Kamek. "When are we going to continue fighting? We've been cooped up in this castle for days and I want to get up in the action again! I'm so bored!"

The magikoopa rolled his eyes. "Do you not even remember what I said a couple of days ago? We need to-"

"Yeah, I know!" Bowser Jr. hissed. "We have to rethink our plans, but it's taking so long! I want to conquer this kingdom now!"

Ludwig snorted. "You can be patient, you know. Things like these take time."

The bandana koopa glared at him. "What would you know? You're no king!"

"Your right," Ludwig said, "I'm not a king, but let me tell you something. I'm only giving suggestions of what I would do if I were you. That's all."

"I don't need your help," Bowser Jr. hissed. "I can take care of things myself!"

The blue Koopaling shook his head. "Not by rushing into battle head first, you're not. Remember the time when you went one a whole quest to find a cure for the Blorbs?"

"What does that have to do with this?"

"Let me finish," Ludwig growled. "During that journey, you actually acknowledged that you needed help. When you said that, I actually felt that you matured and that you weren't the snobbish brat you used to be, and that's because Kamek helped you, so all I ask is don't go back to being that brat you used to be because we're all here for you and want to help you, but if your arrogance goes to far, that leads to alienation of valuable help. I'm only telling you this as a friend, so please don't get angry with me."

Bowser Jr. sighed. "OK. I'm sorry."

"It doesn't matter. You just need to keep a level head." He paused. "I just thought of something. It's been a couple of days since we've seen Mario. Should we go look for him because sooner or later the enemy is going to find them and then we'll be at a loss."

"An excellent point!" Bowser Jr. said. "I didn't even think about that!" He turned to Kamek. "I want you to organize search parties and have them search far and wide! Mario must be found!"

The magikoopa scratched his head. "What about the rest of the plan? Will we have enough troops to execute it?"

"That's what I'm leaving you in charge with. We need to have enough troops to raid the islands. Once you've sent off search parties, then we'll be on our way." Kamek bowed and left the room.

"Hey," a gruff voice hissed. Wario and Waluigi walked up to him. "We've been cooped up in this castle for days and you've yet to let us in on the action," Wario said. "We're bored and we want in, so whatever you're planning, let us in for crying out loud!"

Bowser Jr. huffed. "Well, sorry! I didn't know you guys were still here! I thought you already left!"

"Has it looked like we left? Let me tell you something, kid. The only reason why Waluigi and I are still here is because we haven't got our reward and we won't leave until you give it to us. Besides, you need our help, anyway, so let me give you a piece of advice. We want our reward, and we know the only way that'll happen is if you give Waluigi and I roles in this war, so I suggest you help us out by giving us a role, or Waluigi and I walk out of here. So, what do ya say?"

Bowser Jr. sighed. "Alright, you win! You can help out with the airfleet! There! I hope you're satisfied now! Now go away! I've got planning to do!" The plumbers smiled and walked away. "You may have one the previous battle, Peach, but you haven't won yet! The Koopa Troop will still be victorious!"

* * *

Yoshi Island, a place where most the Yoshis live in peace, well, most of the time. A long time ago when Bowser was little, he and Kamek started harassing the Yoshis to try to take over the place, which is how Yoshi became of of Bowser's very first nemeses. The Kongs also had their fair share of enemies as well. The Kremlings, ruled by King K. Rool, wanted to rule over the island and steal the banana horde, which was one of Donkey Kong's prized possessions and food supplies. Both islands had their share of peace, but that was about to come to an end.

Bowser Jr. sighed as he glanced at the ocean below. Kamek flew to him. "Are you OK, your Youngness?" The koopa didn't shift his gaze. "Don't worry," the magikoopa continued. "This plan is going to work; I guarantee you that! There's no way Peach and the others can reach us. We're flying over the ocean, for crying out loud! So, please don't be worried."

"Well, guess what?" Bowser Jr. said, "That's exactly what I'm worrying about. I just hope that splitting our forces to do a simultaneous attack on both islands is a good idea. Inhabitants on both islands are pretty powerful foes considering the Yoshis stood up against my father from stories he told me and how much power the apes possess. It's going to be a real challenge. I wonder if we're even going to pull this off."

"Please don't lose faith in the plan yet," Kamek said. "I know you feel down after what happened at the Koopa Village when Peach destroyed some of the fleet and even gained some troops in the process, but that was only a small set back. We'll win this fight! You've been looking forward to getting back into the action for days and you act like this? What happened to the lively koopa I know?"

"He left the moment his father died," Bowser Jr. mumbled. "I wonder if things are ever going to be the same after this whole war is done."

The magikoopa sighed. "You know what you need?" The koopa huffed. "You haven't had a proper win in a while. Maybe that'll cheer you up." Bowser Jr. shrugged. Kamek sighed then gasped. "Your Shrewdness, look! We have arrived!" The koopa looked up. Two island archipelagos were lined together side-by-side.

He smiled. "Excellent." He turned to Kamek. "I'll command this fleet and will head to Yoshi Island. You head to the other island. Together, we'll destroy these islands and claim them in the name of father!"

The magikoopa laughed. "That's the Bowser Jr. I know! For the Koopa Troop!" He flew away.

Bowser Jr. chuckled. "We really need some sort of anthem for us." He put on his bandana. "Let the destruction commence!" The airship fleet split into two forces as they diverged and went towards the islands. "Look out, Yoshis! You're about to have a blast from the past!"

**Yoshi Island**

At Yoshi Island, things were buzzing with activity. Yoshis everywhere were chatting and going on with their everyday lives, be it going for errands or hanging out with friends. Soon, the chatter stopped as an ominous shadow covered the sky. The Yoshis glanced around at the sky as the huge fleet of airships approached their way. They panicked and ran amok as bullet bills and bob-ombs rained the whole island, creating explosions that destroyed houses and facilities. A couple airships landed on the ground as Bowser Jr. walked on the ground, smiling. "Hello, fellow Yoshis!" he yelled. The dinosaurs turned to him and gasped. "You may remember my father, who you tormented all those years ago. Well, meet his son! For your torment upon my father, you shall all perish!" He looked at the airships. "Release the minions!" he ordered. "Fire the ammunition on this island and burn it to the ground! I am hereby declaring these lands in the name of my father!"

"Leave us alone!" one of the Yoshis snarled. "All that happened years ago! We just want to live in peace!"

Bowser Jr. snorted. "Not gonna happen, bucko. After all the stories that father told me, I don't see why you all deserve mercy, so as far as I'm concerned, you're all good as dead!" He launched at the blue Yoshi, grabbing him by the neck as he yanked him to the ground. The minions ran out of airships and attacked the Yoshis, who did their best to fight back with their limited fighting knowledge. The two forces intermingled as the airships above began firing the ammunition again, sending Yoshis everywhere as the minions evaded the attacks. The Yoshis did their best fighting back against the enemy forces, sticking out their tongues to eat their enemies and ground-pounding their using their butts, trying to strike them from below. The minions realized their repeated pattern of attacks and evade them in different ways like grabbing their tongues when they stuck out and throwing them at other Yoshis and dodging the ground-pounds and punching them before they had a chance to react. With their new changes of attacking and the airships firing upon down at them, the Yoshi quickly became overwhelmed and started to retreat, but were caught up in the blasts. Yoshi bodies fell to the ground and piled on top of each other like dominoes, their bodies twitching before their hearts giving away as they took their last breath before dying. Bowser Jr. smiled at the sight of the dead bodies.

One of his minions approached him. "More Yoshis are coming their way!"

Bowser Jr. huffed. "Then let them. They'll just meet the same fate these Yoshis did." Later, more Yoshis ran into the destroyed village, yelling with rage. The minions were ready for them. They rained fists and explosives onto the Yoshis before they had a chance to counterattack and within minutes they all died. Bowser Jr. smiled. "Onto the next village!" The minions nodded and boarded the airships before flying to the next village.

**Donkey Kong Island**

Kamek's forces on the ground weren't having a lot of success against the inhabitants on Donkey Kong Island as Bowser Jr.'s forces did on Yoshi Island. The apes, with their strong muscles, whacked the minions back, sending them into trees and bushes. Dixie Kong twirled her ponytailed hair to whip charging minions before kicking them back. Funky Kong laughed as he whacked some minions with his surfboard. "Ha! Ha! Take that, you punks!"

Will you keep it down?" Cranky Kong hissed, whacking charging minions with his cane. "Your yelling is hurting my poor ears!"

"Well, sorry, Gramps," Funky Kong said before getting back into the battle.

Nearby up above, Kamek frowned at the rate of progress the minions were going. "At this point, we're never going to take over this island."

Wario sighed. "Then what are-a we waiting for? If your troops are performing horribly, then shouldn't we help them? All we're doing is watching from the sidelines doing nothing while your troops get beaten up."

The magikoopa nodded. "You're right. We must commence the battle. Let's strike down this island!" The airships hovered over the island, ready to fire with all their might.

**Toad Town**

Tired from the battle in the Koopa Village, Peach decided to get rejuvenated before planning the next step with her friends. After taking a two hour nap, she walked around Toad Town to get a refresher of air before heading back in the castle. She yawned as she walked through the plaza when an offshore explosion made her and the Toads jump. She turned to where the explosions were. Two fleets of airships targeted two archipelagos in the distance. She gasped and ran back inside the castle. She stumbled into Toadsworth. He stood up and grumbled. "Do you mind watching where you're going, princess? You almost gave me a heart attack!"

"I'm so sorry, Toadsworth! I'm looking for Yoshi and Donkey Kong! I need to find them!"

"Why are you in such a rush?"

"Please! Tell me where I can find them!"

"Alright!" Toadsworth hissed. "I think I saw them having dinner in the dining room, but don't trust my memory because sometimes it's wrong."

She sighed. "Thank you!" She ran upstairs towards said room. She ran through the doors, startling the Toad servants and her friends. "Thank goodness you guys are here!"

Yoshi glanced at her in confusion. "What's wrong? You look like you're having a heart attack!"

She breathed heavily. "I feel like I am! Yours and Donkey Kong's islands are under attack! Bowser Jr.'s destroying both islands! We have to stop him!"

Rosalina stood up from her chair. "OK, please calm down. We will stop them." She looked at Yoshi and Donkey Kong. "You two obviously got here by some method. Do you remember how you two arrived?"

Donkey Kong shrugged. "I don't remember. It feels like so long ago." Peach sighed and glanced at Yoshi.

The dinosaur scratched his head. "I think Birdo and I came over here by warp pipe, but there's so many in the kingdom that I don't know which one I came in."

Peach sighed. "But there has to be a way to get over there! We can't let them suffer!"

"And we won't," Rosalina said. "I think I have a plan. We need to get outside!" Everyone rushed outside where the faraway airships continued their fire, this time on one of the islands. "OK, everyone stand back. This is going to take a bit." Everyone took a step back as she whipped out her wand. She took a deep breath and cast two spells, creating two portals leading to the different islands. "OK," she said, "Now these portals lead to each one of the islands. I suggest we split up and cover both islands. I'll go with one group and once we're done, we'll go to the other island. Let's get going." They nodded and headed to the islands.

**Yoshi Island**

A portal appeared on the ground and Yoshi and Peach stepped on the ground, glancing around the jungle they were in. Yoshi glanced at the sky as they walked through the woods. "I find it really strange that there aren't any airships around. I wonder why that is."

"Maybe this is why." They entered a village where Peach pointed to all the lifeless bodies that laid around on the ground next to the destroyed buildings.

Yoshi glanced around in dismay. "No. No. It can't be!" He approached one of the Yoshis, shaking it as he tried to wake it. "Come on! Get up! Please!" The Yoshi's arm limped in his lap.

Peach laid her arm on his shoulder. "I'm so sorry," she murmured. "We were too late. I'm sorry."

"No!" Yoshi yelled in dismay. "There's more villages! Maybe there's some Yoshis they haven't gotten to yet! Please, Peach! We have to look for them!"

She nodded. "OK. Let's go." Yoshi nodded, hoping she was right. They exited the destroyed village and wandered through the jungle. They wandered into another village. Yoshi sighed in relief as the buildings were still intact.

He glanced at Peach in confusion. "Usually, Yoshi's are moving around. I don't know why it's quiet."

Peach shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe they're hiding from Bowser Jr.'s forces. Let's get looking." Yoshi nodded and they knocked on the first door. No one responded. Yoshi looked at Peach. She shrugged. They entered the house and looked around. Nothing was destroyed in the house, but no one was occupying it, either. They walked out of the house. They took quick glances throughout all the buildings. Peach sighed. "That's really strange. No one is here. It's like they were forced to retreat or something." Explosions shook the ground.

Yoshi gasped. "That's coming from the other side of the island! We need to go!" They took off in the direction of the explosions.

Ten minutes later, they arrived at the village. Burning debris spread all over as the scent of ash hung in the air. They ducked behind a destroyed house as Bowser Jr. laughed. Yoshi tried his best to hold back his tears. "Excellent work, minions! We have achieved victory against the pitiful Yoshis! Now let's go help out Kamek and his forces!" The minions nodded as the airships lowered and the minions boarded them, continuing their trek to claim both islands theirs.

After they left, Yoshi ran into one of the dead bodies and shrieked, his cries causing Peach to shed a couple tears. She approached him. "Yoshi, I'm so sorry. I promise you they won't get away with this."

"And how do you propose we do that?!" Peach stayed silent. "They were my comrades! I don't want to commit revenge on the Koopa Troop! Look where that got Mario! He's gone and I'm all alone!"

"But you aren't," a voice said.

He stood up, turning into defensive mode. "Who's there? Show yourself!" Figures entered the village. Yoshi gasped. "Birdo?!" She waved cheekily at him before more Yoshis emerged behind her. He ran and hugged her. "Oh my goodness, I'm so glad to see you! I don't understand! I thought I was the last Yoshi on this island!"

"But you aren't," Birdo said, smiling. "After I saw the airships coming, I managed to get some of the Yoshis back before the attacks commenced. Unfortunately, I couldn't rescue them all. I'm so sorry, Yoshi."

"Oh, please don't be. You tried." He chuckled. "I'm just glad I'm not the last Yoshi on this island after all." The other Yoshis nodded.

"I'd hate to interrupt this sweet reunion," Peach said, "But there's still another island under attack. I suggest we get moving now."

Yoshi nodded. "You're right." He glanced at Birdo. "Will you help us?"

She shook her head. "I wish, but we still have recovering to do. What I can promise you is that for future battles, you have our support." The dinosaur nodded. He and Peach ran through the jungle. She sighed. "I hope they'll be OK."

**Donkey Kong Island**

Rosalina, Donkey Kong, and Diddy Kong arrived on the island, the ground shaking beneath their feet. Rosalina glanced at the two apes. "You two ready to take back your island?" They nodded. "Good. Follow me. I know where the fighting is happening." She ran off.

Donkey Kong rolled his eyes. "We already know where. Come on." The two apes ran off. They arrived at the village where his family lived to see it in chaos. Bowser Jr.'s minions toppled over his family members, bringing them to their knees. Donkey Kong growled and ran towards Funky Kong, who was struggling to throw them off. The tie ape growled and threw minions off him.

Funky Kong gasped. "Donkey Kong! You came!"

"Of course I did," Donkey Kong said, helping his friend up. "You didn't think I would abandon you or my family, now did you?"

"Well, we haven't seen you in days! Ever since you and Diddy Kong left, we didn't think you would return!"

"But I did, didn't I?"

"Yeah, right when the island's in the middle of an attack!" Funky Kong whacked some minions back with his surfboard. "Regardless," he said, "It's great to have you back." Donkey Kong nodded.

The whole island shook as airships fired cannons, shaking the ground. Donkey Kong gasped as his tree house fell off its structure and crashed to the ground. "No! My tree house!" He cracked his knuckles. "That airfleet is gonna pay!"

"Hey," Funky Kong said. "I think the hot chick is already on that!" Donkey Kong turned around. Rosalina boosted herself up to one of the airships using a launch star she created. She landed on the mast and held her wand out. She sent blasts, which flew into minions as they flew to the ground, landing on a thud.

Kamek appeared on the mast. "What the?" He glared at Rosalina. "How dare you stop my fleet!" He whipped out his wand. "Begone at once!" He glanced at her wand. "It appears I'm not the only one that can do magic. Well, then. I shall get rid of you myself!" He whipped two fire blasts at her. She blocked them with a shield before sending out blasts of her own.

"Donkey Kong!" she yelled, leaping into the air as Kamek shot more blasts at her. The ape turned to her. "I'm a little preoccupied at the moment! You'll have to destroy the fleet on your own!"

Donkey Kong sighed. "Looks like we have to take care of this mess ourselves." He glanced at Diddy Kong, who whacked some minions away with his tail. "Diddy Kong!" His nephew turned to him. "You think you can keep them occupied down here?" He nodded and continued fighting. Donkey Kong glanced at Funky Kong. "We need to destroy those ships. Mind giving me a boost?"

"With pleasure." Funky Kong grabbed Donkey Kong by the scruff and tossed him at one of the airships. The ape zoomed through the mast upward, sending minions upward as the entire ship exploded. Donkey Kong rolled along the ground and cheered before Funky Kong prepared to through him at another ship before they were hit by a bob-omb. A person leaped to the ground.

"You deciding to blow up our ships?" Wario hissed. "I can't have you do that." He cracked his knuckles and charged at him. Donkey Kong dodged his blow and punched him on the back. The obese plumber tumbled into a tree. "You're gonna pay for that!" He charged at the ape again and they exchanged in a fist fight that would go on for a while.

* * *

On the airship, Rosalina dodged every attack Kamek threw at her. He charged a magic blast spell and threw it at her. She jumped out of the way and the blast created a huge gap in the floor along with destroying other parts of the ship. He gazed in dismay at the damage he created. "What have I done?!" With him distracted, Rosalina charged a blast of her own. She threw it at the magikoopa. He flew off the ship towards the ground, landing with a thud. She huffed and went to the ship's wheel and twirled it, causing it to turn to the other ships. She flew off as the airships collided with each other one-by-one until the propellers stopped working and the airships falling to the ground. Rosalina grabbed Donkey Kong's arm, who had everyone else, and she teleported them away before the ships crashed, creating a huge explosion that shook the whole island and flew everyone several feet away. Everyone emerged from the portal and landed on the soft beach.

"Is everyone OK?" Rosalina asked. Everyone nodded.

Donkey Kong groaned. "My island, it's all ruined." Parts of the island were engulfed in flames as smoke rose from the crash site that could be seen for miles. He hugged his family. "I'm so glad you're all safe."

"Oh, so now you decide to worry for me," Cranky Kong grumbled. "That landing hurt my poor back!"

The bushes rustled behind them as Yoshi, Peach, and the others appeared. Peach ran to Rosalina. "You guys are OK!"

"Yes, we are," Rosalina said. "We managed to destroy more of his fleet, so we should have more of a fighting chance going forward."

Peach glanced at Donkey Kong. "You guys seem OK, too! I'm so glad you made it out in time! Plus, we have more fighting force, if you guys are willing to fight with us."

Donkey Kong glanced at his family. They nodded. "Yeah, we all are. So, what happened over here? Did you guys win too?"

The princess shook her head. "Not exactly. After we arrived, we found the Yoshis that were here already dead. Multiple villages were destroyed." Yoshi sniffed back a tear. "But," she continued, "Birdo managed to find some Yoshis before the island was destroyed, so there's a positive at least." A moment of silence passed before the sky rumbled. Peach looked around. "What in the world is that?" She glanced at Yoshi.

The dinosaur reared. "Hey, don't look at me! Yeah, I know I haven't eaten in hours, but my stomach doesn't growl that loud!"

Rosalina pointed in the sky. "Look!" The leftover airships flew towards the island and began to make their descent. Everyone got into a fighting stance.

The trees shook as they landed on the ground and Bowser Jr. stepped out. "Amazing. Truly amazing what you guys did to half of my fleet. You guys surely put up quite a fight so far, I'll tell you that."

"What the heck do you want?" Peach hissed. "You didn't come here just to gloat about us, so what do you need? If you're looking to have the rest of your fleet destroyed, then that wish will be granted if you don't leave in the next five seconds."

Bowser Jr. scoffed. "That won't happen. I just came to give you a warning. In a couple months, my men and I will fight over your capital, whatever it's called. If you think you can toy with my plans any further, you have another thing coming your way. Do you remember when I said that I will strike you with tenfold amount of rage as you did to my airships? Well, you'd better be ready because when that day comes, you'll regret you ever toyed with me in the first place!" He stepped on his airship and they all took off.

Everyone exchanged worried glances for a couple minutes as Peach kneeled to the ground. "He's gonna attack Toad Town. He's gonna kill hundreds more people. What should I do?"

Rosalina sighed. "Everything will be OK, princess. Look at how much you've accomplished so far. We have recruited many organisms: the Kongs, the Yoshis, the Koopa Troopas from the village, even the Toads from the draft you made. We have enough to combat him and his forces. Please don't be discouraged."

"I know, but what about Mario?! We haven't seen him or Luigi in days and I'm worried sick for them! You said that Mario will come back, but he's yet to do that! You said those words yourself!"

Rosalina stayed quiet. "I did. Maybe we will see him very soon, but right now we need to come up with a plan to get the troops together and figure out battle strategies. We need to leave." She created a portal to the Mushroom Kingdom.

Peach sighed as everyone walked through it. She stood up. "Mario, please come home. We need you. I can't do this alone." She walked through the portal as it closed behind her.

* * *

Bowser Jr. glared at Kamek as his airships flew back to Bowser's Castle. The koopa crossed his arms. "So, mind telling me exactly what happened there? Why I happened to find half of my fleet destroyed and minions dead?" The magikoopa stayed silent. Bowser Jr. growled. He kicked him in the chest. He wheezed. "Start talking now!"

"Yes, your Youthfulness," Kamek said. "At the beginning of the attack, there were few inhabitants on the island, so I decided to overwhelm them with your minions. We were doing wonderful when Peach's friends interfered again." Bowser Jr. rolled his eyes. "They started to destroy our fleet and that was when the tides officially turned." He bowed his head. "Forgive me, your Shortness."

Bowser Jr. huffed. "Forgiveness? You're asking me for forgiveness?! Look around, Kamek! Because of your stupid actions, the only airships I have left are the ones the Koopalings have and this one! Also, there's barely enough troops for me to stage my final plan!"

"Your final plan?"

"Yes! Because of you, I have only one shot left at taking over this kingdom: targeting the capital! We tried targeting outside villages and islands across the sea, all which was part of the plan you created, I might add, and look at what happened! I know now I have no choice but to stage this final attack because if this fails, then how in the world am I going to accomplish my father's dream?! You were the one that staged this whole thing, and look where it's got us! I'm done following your decisions! From now on, every decision will be made by me! And no, I don't care if I still lack experience!" he added when the magikoopa began to protest. "I'm doing things my way and that's final!" He went down below decks to start thinking of his plans.

The magikoopa glanced at the ground. "What have I done?"

"You did what you could." Kamek turned to see Wario and Waluigi approach him. "We'll just have to wait things out," Wario said. "There's-a nothing else we can do right now, but I bet you 50,000 coins that we're gonna win."

Kamek sighed. "I hope you're right."

* * *

_Another action-filled chapter. Next chapter, we'll get a look inside how Mario's been living inside the mountains, and I'll just tell you it's not a good one. See you on Friday!_


	9. Chapter 9: Mario's Isolation

_Welcome back for another chapter! Just a heads up: this chapter contains one of the 'dark themes' that I mentioned both in the summary and the first chapter. It deals with PTSD, though it might not be an accurate portrayal, this is still a sensitive subject, so fair warning. Now, enjoy!_

* * *

Chapter 9: Mario's Isolation

**Deep within the Rock-Candy Mines**

Mario yawned as he stood up, ready to tackle another day within the mountains. Pale sunlight streamed through the cave, giving it a fluorescent glow as he stepped outside, rubbing his eyes as he glanced around the canyon, a sight that once amazed him, but know became a common sight to see. Ever since he fled from Peach's Castle, he's enjoyed the peace and quiet and the time to ponder on his decisions. The mountains gave him a peace of mind, but it also served as a reminder of his wrong doings at the same time. He walked up to the river and began his daily routine that he developed in the mountains. He used his hat and scooped some water from the flowing river and drank it, it quenching his thirst as it went down his throat. He also readied a knife he made from sticks to catch a Cheep Cheep, a skill that took him hours to develop. He darted his knife at the water, striking an incoming Cheep Cheep before making a fire and roasting it. By lunchtime, he became thirsty, so he went back towards the river again. He glanced at the water, seeing his reflection in the water. The waves coalased into Bowser. Mario startled back. The koopa huffed. "Look at you. I've never seen such hero at an all-time low. And all for what? What you did just ended up worsening not only the situation itself, but you as well." He shook his head. "What a disappointment."

"Shut up!" Mario hissed. "I already have enough pressure from everyone else in the first place! I don't need you adding anymore, so go away!"

Bowser laughed. "Why would I when I could just humiliate you as revenge and push you down the deep hole you've dug yourself? It's so much fun! I've never seen you so down from a situation that you ran away! Because of that, you put everyone's lives in jeopardy and I get to watch my son tear apart the people you love while you isolate yourself and moan, wishing you could do everything in your power to reverse the huge mistake you made! It's so funny!" He burst out laughing.

"Shut up!" Mario slapped the water with full force, creating a huge splash that drenched him. He sighed with relief and went back into his cave.

* * *

Later that night, Mario yawned after eating another Cheep Cheep and stuffing his stomach. He laid next to the cosy cracking of the fire and closed his eyes. He woke up, his hands clinging on the edge of a cliff. Bowser Jr. stood before him, shaking his head. "Well, isn't this such a sad tale," he said. "Before me lies the greatest hero the Mushroom Kingdom has to offer on the edge of death." He scoffed. "Such pity. You know how ironic this is? Many months ago, my father laid at this very same spot and you didn't even bother to save him. You just decided to kill him for your own selfish reasons. How pathetic." He shrugged. "Oh well. Nothing I can do about it now except to kill you off and have you a taste of your own medicine. Have fun burning in hell!" He kicked Mario square in the jaw and the plumber flew in the air, screaming and flailing his arms. He closed his eyes and shook his body. A couple minutes passed before Mario opened his eyes again, glancing around. A black abyss surrounded him as he floated in the air.

"Hello?" he called, his voice echoing. "Anyone there?"

"Why did you leave us, Mario?" The plumber turned. Princess Peach stood before him, slowly producing tears. "Why did you have to leave us when we needed you?" she whimpered. "You and I had everything planned out together and the moment the stress got to you, you abandoned us at our darkest hour. We needed you and you left us!"

"What else was I supposed to do?!" Mario retorted. "Everyone was pressuring me that I couldn't hold it anymore! Look, I'm sorry that I left you, but please, you gotta believe me! I know I had bad intentions, but I didn't-a know what else to do!"

"Are you really sure about that?" Peach faded and Luigi appeared glaring at him. "Think really hard about that answer. The brother I know doesn't run away from his problems like a coward. That's what-a I've done and have learned to bypass. Do you really want to continue to hide away like a coward or face it like a man?" Mario hesitated for a couple minutes. "Answer me!" He scoffed. "Whatever. If you aren't-a willing to face your problems, then maybe you really aren't my brother." He started to fade.

Mario gasped. "Weegee, please don't-a leave me. Weegee!"

Mario gasped awake. His heart pumped as his palms started to sweat. "Mamma mia, I need to get out of here! I can't take anymore of this guilt! I have to help my friends!" He grabbed his stuff and ran out of the cave through the mountains.

* * *

Daytime came like a breeze when Mario wandered through the mountains, lost in his thoughts. He sighed and shook his head. After a couple of hours of roaming the mountains, a rumbling from the sky caught his ears. He glanced up to see airships approaching him. He gasped and ducked behind some rocks. He caught sight of some troops roaming through caves. He trembled. "Oh no. Bowser Jr.'s minions are here! I gotta get out of here."

"Spread out and find him!" one of the minions, Boom Boom, yelled from the airship above. "He's gotta be in here somewhere based on sighted reports. Boss expects us to find him, so we don't have all day! Search every crack and crevice of this place!" The minions on the ground nodded and marched through the canyon. Mario gulped and walked through the mountains, separating from the main group. He tripped over a rock and rolled down the mountain, grunting along the way. He fell on the ground, causing some of the minions to turn around.

One of them chuckled. "Well, after many days of hiding, the great plumber graces us with our presence! After him!" The minions charged at the plumber with battle cries. Mario gasped and stood on his feet, running as bullet bills were fired, running into the mountainside and sending a barrage of rocks tumbling down his way. The plumber ran past the rocks, jumping as they rolled towards him. They ran into the charging minions. More ammunition launched from the airships and as they landed on the ground, the force sent him flying into the mountainside. He fell to the ground, coughing as another minion approached him, brandishing her boomerang.

"Where the heck do you think you're going?" Pom Pom chirped, grabbing him by the scruff. She glanced at the plumber's eyes as he trembled. She smiled. "Looks like someone's not been getting enough sleep. The mountains not treating you well? Well, there's always a spot for you at Bowser's Castle. Let's go right-"

A battle cry filled the air as a figure punched her in the chest, sending her back several feet. "Leave my brother alone!" the person snarled.

Mario rubbed his eyes. "Luigi! What the heck are you doing here?!"

The green plumber glanced at him. "No time to explain. We have to get out of here now."

"No one's going anywhere!" Boom Boom jumped from his ship. "You're going to pay for interference, green plumber!" He glanced at Mario. "And you're coming with me!"

Luigi snorted. "You're gonna have to go through me first." He got into a fighting position.

The minion smiled. "With pleasure." He charged Luigi with his arms flailing, trying to punch him. Luigi ducked every blow and jabbed his hand at the minion's chest, causing him to weaze before kicking him back. Boom Boom toppled back and landed on his back. He growled and retreated into his shell. It charges at Luigi and slammed into the mountainside before ricocheting before he flew into Luigi, sending back a couple feet. Pom Pom reemerged to the scene and threw her boomerang at him before he had a chance to recover. Luigi ducked and charged at the pink minion, but she duplicated herself into five more clones, creating confusion for the green plumber.

She chuckled. "Which one am I now? You're gonna have a hard time finding out for sure. Now, have a little taste of my boomerang!" She threw her boomerangs at the plumber. He gasped and ducked out of the way. She groaned. "Oh, come on! I had a perfect shot!"

Luigi sighed with relief. He glanced at Mario. "Nice dodge, huh?"

He shrugged. Pom Pom growled and threw her boomerang at Mario. The boomerang hit him square in the face. He collapsed to the ground. Pom Pom laughed. "Hah, who knew lack of sleep could do wonders! Let's nab him!" She grabbed Mario by the scruff and yanked on him, but Luigi whacked her in the face. She howled in pain, dropping Mario as he landed with a thud. Boom Boom charged at Luigi and swung his fists at him, but he whacked Pom Pom instead.

"Hey!" she hissed, clutching her eye. "Watch it! Do you mind watching who you're aiming for? You almost got me killed!"

He huffed. "Well, excuse me! If you were paying more attention to your surroundings, then maybe you wouldn't have gotten hit by my shell, now would you?!"

Luigi bumped Mario. "Let's-a get out of here before they bring the focus back onto us." Mario shrugged and followed him.

* * *

Later that night, Luigi put more kindling into the fire as Mario sighed. Luigi glanced at him. "Dude, man, you look exhausted. How many hours of sleep have you been getting? Your coordination was way off in that fight."

"Fine! You want to know how many hours I've gotten?! Zero! I've-a been getting none! All I've ever faced while being in here are nightmares and hallucinations of my actions that throw them back at my face! I thought by coming here, they'd go away, but no! They just keep on coming back! I'd wish they go away!" He cried on his brother's shoulder in a couple minutes of silence.

Luigi sighed. "I'm so sorry, Mario. I can't ever think of the pain you're going through, but you need to listen to me. Please, Mario. Please come back. I know that times have been hard for you, but you aren't the only one suffering. Because you decided to run away from your problems, the whole kingdom's in shambles because Bowser Jr.'s already made his first move. I know you're terrified, but you have to stop running away from your problems. You need to face them and rectify the mistakes you made. I'm only telling you this because I love you dearly and I don't know what I would do if I lost you and Bowser Jr. succeeded. Please come back." A moment of silence filled the air as they listened to the cracking of the fire.

Mario shook his head. "N-No. I can't go back. I'm not ready! Please, I can't go back! I can't!"

"Well, guess what? Sometimes, you don't have a choice in the matter!" Luigi hissed, banging his fist on the cave floor. "I know you're sad and angry, but you can't keep running away from your problems! I know you fear Bowser Jr. and the mistake you made, but you have to-a own up to it and fix it! Staying here isn't doing anyone any good. I know times are tough, but you have to be strong. No matter how hard things get, don't ever lose hope because if you do, then you're gone in the wind forever. I'm only asking this because I care for you." Mario turned away from him. "I'll let you think about it, but I really want you to consider coming home. Peach needs you." He curled next to the fire and closed his eyes.

* * *

Morning came quickly as sunlight light the cave. Mario yawned and stretched his arms. Luigi was already up and had his stuff packed. He turned to him. "Hey," he said. "Are you feeling better?"

Mario rubbed his eyes. "A little. I didn't dream about Bowser, at least. I thought about what you said and I made up my mind." He stood up. "I'm-a going back to the Mushroom Kingdom. You're right. I need to stop running and start facing my problems. Things are just going to get worse the more I stay here."

"OK. Let's-a go. We have a lot of ground to cover, so get something to eat and let's get going." Mario nodded and quickly prepared his breakfast and ate it before they headed into the mountains. They walked in silence as Luigi pulled out a map he made and examined it. "Hmm, it seems like we're near the back. If we-"

"Look," Mario said, "I just want to go home. I don't want to hear the whole spiel. Just get us out of here." Luigi nodded and the two traveled through the mountains. Hours later, with Luigi's guidance, they made it out of the mountains and into the plains. They wandered through Toad Town, the Toads glancing at him in surprise to see him back after many days of his absence. The duo laid their eyes upon the castle. Mario sighed. "Man, I've-a never felt so nervous before in my life to see Peach. What if she rejects me?" His legs were shaking. "I'm so scared."

"Breathe," Luigi said, rubbing his brother's tense shoulders. "You'll do fine. She won't reject you, even though you've done some horrible things-"

"Yeah, like that's supposed to make-a me feel better," Mario muttered.

"Let me finish. She knows the trouble you went through and I believe that she will take you in. Just give her a chance."

"I hope you're-a right."

"Trust me. She will. Now come on. We have a princess to greet." Mario nodded. They went inside the castle. They went into the dining room to see Peach and her friends slumped on the table, looking glum. Mario glanced at Luigi. He shrugged. The red plumber sighed. "Hey, guys," he mumbled.

The others jumped at his glanced at Mario in surprise and ran to hug him. "Mario!" she cried. "You're OK!"

The plumber nodded. "Yes I am. Thanks to my bro, he rescued me and persuaded me to stop running away from my problems. I'm not 100%, but I'm better." A moment of silence filled the room as Mario gave everyone an annoyed look. "Hey, why all the sad faces? We should be planning our next move against our enemy!"

"Look, it's just not that simple, OK?!" Mario winced at the princess's tone. "Look, we just got back from Donkey Kong and Yoshi's islands and suffered a defeat there when we lost most of Yoshi's family there." The dinosaur flashed him a sad look. "We've been trying to figure out what to do since Bowser Jr. said that in a couple of months, he'll strike Toad Town and I have no idea on what sort of plan to combat him, so it hasn't exactly been a walk in the park for us."

The plumber sighed. "I'm-a sorry. I didn't know you guys have had such a hard time. I should've never run away, otherwise we wouldn't be in this mess. It's all my fault."

Rosalina walked to him. "Accept what has been done," she said. "You can't change the past, but you can work to better the future because it's up to you on what you make it. You're back now and that's all that matters. There's still time to rectify your actions."

Mario nodded. "OK, so Bowser Jr.'s going to attack the castle soon and none of you have come up with some sort of plan?"

"We just got back," Yoshi hissed. "Do you really think we would have a plan in an instant? Unfortunately, no we don't, so please don't assume things."

He nodded. "Right, sorry. I'm running low on sleep, so forgive me." He paused for a few minutes, thing of his plan when something crossed his mind. "Power-ups." Everyone gave him a confused glance. "We can use power-ups to fight back! I can train everyone how to use one and when the time comes, we'll be ready!"

"That's good and all," Luigi said, "But do we even have enough power-ups for the whole army? We don't know if we're going to have enough time to train them in basic fighting skills since, you know, the Toads are mainly pacifists."

"Don't you all think it's worth a try?" Mario asked. "Look, right now, we have no plans whatsoever and we have to try something. Don't you think it's worth the risk?"

His friends sighed. "Maybe," Peach said. "I mean, what hurt could this plan do? The Toads and everyone else who signed up already know the risks and we don't have anything else, so I guess we have to go with what Mario's given us." The others nodded.

Mario sighed with relief. "Oh, thank you guys for being on board! I swear that this will turn things around for good! Now let's-a get started!"

"We will. You won't. You need rest. Go sleep." Mario nodded and went to bed.

* * *

His friends came up with a plan to prepare for the war over Toad Town. They woke up Mario a couple hours later and discussed the details with him before, calling for a meeting with the signed-up troops to discuss preparations for the war the next day. The Toads gasped when Mario walked through town. They cheered as they formed a crowd and Mario and the others stood in front of them, happy to see their savior back. He raised his hand up and the cheers died down. "Thank you," he said. "It's-a so good to be back in Toad Town. I know many of you are happy to see me back. I know these past few months have been rough, but I'm determined to turn things around. I'm sorry to say this, but I have come back bearing horrible news. In the past few months while I was-a sulking to myself, Peach and her friends have done their best to hold up the front and Bowser Jr.'s forces have decreased drastically, but he will attack Toad Town in a couple months. We've-a been successful so far, but if we fail here, then all would've been for nothing. I know I ran away, but I'm here to set things right. We have a plan and Peach and her friends have gathered some forces with us." He pointed to the Kongs, Koopa Troopas, and Yoshis standing behind him. "This is a start, but we have very little time to prepare. Toads, I need everyone of you to collect as many power-ups as possible. Luigi and I will train you how to fight and how to use them. We need armor, weapons, and other stuff. If we start know, we might be able to have a fighting chance. The only way we'll win is if we work together. Who's with me?!" Everyone in the crowd cheered and clapped their hands.

Peach smiled. "An excellent job, future king."

Mario nodded. "Thanks. Now let's-a get started!"

* * *

_Thank you for reading. I hope you're glad to see Mario back in action after being absent for a couple chapters. Things'll start to kick in gear as we move forward to the battle of Toad Town. See you on Tuesday!_


	10. Chapter 10: Battle Preparations

_Dbot here with a new chapter. This one's going to take a small break from the action as we take a closer look at how the characters been feeling during the war, so it's shorter than what my previous chapters are._

* * *

Disclaimer: Mario is Nintendo's property, not mine.

Chapter 10: Battle Preparations

**Dark Land: Bowser's Castle**

The airships landed on the ground as Bowser Jr. and his troops walked off them. He turned to his troops. "I have an announcement to make. Because of Kamek's failure at Donkey Kong's Island, I am forced to attack the capital." The magikoopa sighed and glanced at the ground. "I want to be prepared as much as possible. We need weapons, armor." He glanced at the Koopalings. "I want more ships built. Get the minions we captured to get started on gathering supplies and building them. We only have a couple of months. Let's get started." The minions nodded and went their separate ways. Bowser Jr. glared at Kamek.

"I'm sorry, Your Nastiness."

"Well, you should be. You really made a mess of things, you know that?"

"Yes, I do, but please give me another chance. I want to prove myself to you."

"Well, guess what? You had that chance and you blew it! Every decision is made by me now! The only thing you're good at is failing to accomplish simple tasks!"

"Then what can I do to help?"

"Stay out of my way," Bowser Jr. hissed. "You've caused enough damage. I don't need you making more." He walked back in the castle. Kamek sighed and trailed behind him.

**A Couple Days Later…**

A couple of days have passed and Bowser Jr. has already been making progress with his plans. The airships the Goombas that were building were already beginning to take shape with the mast half way through completion. The Koopalings were busy training the minions how to fight with different weapons while others were mining ore that was dug around the area used to make many different types of armor and weapons. The castle buzzed with activity as Bowser Jr. walked around the area, observing the progress being made. Iggy had his own area set up as he experimented with the koopa clown cars to expand their versatility. Wario and Waluigi walked to him. "I see you're busy preparing for the battle," Wario said. "We want to help. Give us something to do."

"Fine. Improve on the explosives to make them more explosivey." They nodded and went away.

Kamek went to him. "I must say that you have done an excellent job setting things up. You really have taken charge and things are looking wonderful."

"Yes. I can tell for sure we're going to have a smooth ride in the near future."

"For sure. Speaking of the future, what are you going to do after this war is done and you've killed Mario? What then?" Bowser Jr. paused. Kamek crossed his arms. "You haven't gotten that far, haven't you?"

"Of course I haven't!" Bowser Jr. hissed. "All I've been focused on these past couple of days is preparing for the raid at the capital! I don't know what's gonna happen after that! How am I supposed to know what will happen in the future?"

"Well, you should at least have some sort of idea. I mean, what if you don't take over the capital and Mario wins? What then? Do you have a backup plan? And if you do win, what will happen to Peach and the others? These are things you need to start thinking about."

"Well, I haven't been!" The koopa got on his knees. "How can I think about the future when I have a whole war to take care of? That already is enough stress! I'm tired. This war is the only thing I think about at night. How can I possibly establish a future if I can't pull this off?"

The magikoopa sighed. "I'm so sorry, Your Youthness. How about this? Take some time off. Let me finish this." He rubbed the koopa's shoulders. He reared back in pain. "Man, your muscles are tense. When was the last time you had a decent rest? Have you been hiding this stress all this time?" The koopa nodded, a glum look emerging on his face. "You need to rest. I can tell from your eyes you're exhausted. Sleep. You need it. Let me take over battle preparations." The koopa nodded and left the area.

* * *

Later that night, Bowser Jr. tossed and turned in his bed, trying to find a comfortable spot. Kamek entered his room. "Hello, Your Sharpness?" The koopa continued stirring. The magikoopa slowly touched him, the koopa jolting awake as he screamed and turned. "Whoa! Easy! It's just me!" The koopa sighed with relief. "I figure I'd check and see how you're doing and by the looks of it, you still seem to be having bad dreams, I take it." Bowser Jr. nodded, glancing at the ground. They had a couple moments of silence. "Why are you so quiet? Normally, you'd speak what's on your mind. Tell me what's going through your head."

Bowser Jr. sniffled. "I miss my papa. Every night, I dream about that same instance where Mario would always kill him and I would feel powerless to stop him. I just want this dream to stop!"

"We will stop him. I promise. In the meantime, you have to stay strong. You've been strong all this time. Keep being strong. Let good thoughts enter your mind. Dream about the bright future ahead and you will get better."

The koopa shrugged. "Sometimes, I wonder if what I'm doing is even worth the effort. I don't even think Mario's death will ever satisfy me. Who knows if I'll ever have a bright future at this point."

Kamek sighed. "You miss your father, do you?" Bowser Jr. nodded. "You know, when your father was having a horrible day, I would normally cuddle next to him and hug him like this until he stopped crying." The magikoopa laid on the bed next to him and wrapped his arms around him. "Next, I would say to him, 'It's all right. Kamek is here for you. Let your negative thoughts go away.' Believe me when I say he was in the very same spot you're in now. Now, I know I could never replace your father, but l will always try my best to be here for you."

Bowser Jr. smiled. "Thank you. Can you stay here tonight with me?"

The magikoopa nodded. "Anything for you," he said.

**Mushroom Plains**

The plains was buzzing with activity as the Mushroom Kingdom was preparing for the battle over Toad Town. The town itself was being heavily fortified with planks being built around it. Toads scoured all over the plains collecting power-ups that were needed in the up-coming battle. Tents were pitched outside the town gates and covered many acres of land. In the middle of the tents is where a battlefield that Peach and her friends set up to give the Mushroom Kingdom citizens some time to practice battle strategies they were taught. Mario yawned as he walked through the camp after taking his nap. Luigi was busy teaching the Toads how to use the Tanooki power-up. He absorbed the power-up, transforming in his Tanooki form. "Now," he said as he was demonstrating, "When you've successfully absorbed this power-up, all you have to do is run and flutter your legs like Yoshi and you'll slowly gain height." He ran and jumped in the air. He started fluttering his legs when he waved at Mario. Losing his focus, he fell to the ground. The Toads laughed at his failed attempt. "Ah, shut up!" He walked to Mario.

"Forgot to keep your concentration, eh?"

"Don't rub it in," Luigi muttered, rubbing his butt. "How was your nap?"

"Fine. Do you know where Peach is? I want to see her."

"She's-a in the tent over there. They're planning for the battle coming. You should see her. She misses you." Mario nodded and entered a tent that was smaller than the other red tents that cover the plains. He opened the flap. Peach and her friends leaned over a map as they discussed plans.

"What if we try flanking his army from both sides?" Peach said, moving figures to demonstrate what she had in mind. "They would be outnumbered and they would never see us coming."

Rosalina shook her head. "That won't work. There's not enough adequate camouflage in the plains. Your soldiers will stick out like a sore thumb. We need to keep the army together."

"Maybe we should corner them into an area," Mario said. "Make them more confined."

His friends turned around and gasped. "Mario!"

Peach ran and hugged him. "Mario! It's good to see you!"

"Same I you."

"You two go catch up," Rosalina said. "We'll continue with the plan." They nodded and exited the tent.

"So," Peach said, "How have you been? It's been a couple of days since I've seen you. How have you been?"

"Ah, tiring. Yesterday, Toadsworth made me stay in bed and had Toad servants look after me _all day_. Man, it was nerve-wracking. Now I know how it feels to be treated like royalty."

Peach laughed. "Get used to it. I have it all the time."

Mario nodded. He gazed around the camp. "What amazing work you've done around here. Things really are coming together."

Peach nodded. "I know. Who knew so much work would be done in just a couple of days." She paused. "Let me ask you a question. Do you think we can ever have a good relationship with the Koopa Troop? Cause I mean, the fighting never seems to stop. It's just endless and I wonder if all efforts to make a good relationship with them is gone. Have you ever wondered about that and where the outcome of this war could lead us to?"

Mario shook his head. "Not-a really. I don't think Bowser Jr. even wants a peaceful outcome. I think all he cares about is wanting me dead."

"Then why does he have to throw my people in the middle? If this fight is just between you and Bowser Jr., then that's how it should be! I don't understand why my people and I have to be involved in a conflict that's just between you and him!"

Mario shrugged. "Maybe there's a deeper motive behind his reasons. I just don't know." He glanced into the princess's eyes and sighed. "You just want this fighting to stop, huh?"

She nodded. "I do. There's been a lot of suffering between his army and mine. Can't we just have a nice relationship with each other instead of clawing at each other's throats all the time? Why can't we just live peacefully?" She hugged him. "I missed you so much. I just wish we can all live happy together."

Mario sighed. "I'm-a so sorry for causing you pain, Peach. When I was in the mountains, I panged how much I missed seeing a smile on your face. I was acting so selfish back then. If there was a way I could reverse what I did, I would do it in an instant."

"I know you would. I just hope we can get out of this alive."

Mario sighed. "Me, too."

**A couple months later…**

Dawn came as Bowser Jr. threw off the blankets as he got out of his bed, revenge burning in the back of his mind. He walked out of his room and into the area where his minions were hard at work. Kamek, who was busy supervising the preparations, turned to him. "Status report. Now," the koopa said.

"Of course, Your Youthness. The ships you requested have been completed and stocked with explosives. Lots of armor and weapons have been made and the soldiers' training is almost complete. The Koopalings say they should be ready by tomorrow. We should be ready to battle by tomorrow."

Bowser Jr. shook his head. "I'm not waiting that long. We fly out here now."

"Are you sure? There's no need to be in such a rush. We still-"

"What else does there need to be done?" The magikoopa paused. Bowser Jr. huffed. "Just as I thought. No more excuses. Get the minions on the airships now. We are leaving and that's final." The magikoopa nodded and went away on his duty. "I'm coming for you, Peach! You will feel the wrath of the Koopa Troop!"

* * *

_Thank you for reading this chapter. The reason why wrote this chapter is because I wanted to examine how the main characters were feeling about the war and the future. This chapter gave you some insight on their feelings and how the war has taken a toll on them. Next chapter will deal with the actual battle of Toad Town. See you on Wednesday!_


	11. Chapter 11: Battle of Toad Town

_Hello! Dbot here with another chapter._ Enjoy!

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Disclaimer: Mario's Nintendo's property, not mine.

Chapter 11: Battle of Toad Town

Days later, the battle finally arrived. Peach sighed as she sat up in her bed, knowing of what's to come. She walked outside her tent to see activity buzzing all over the plains. She walked around and saw her citizens work around, preparing for the upcoming battle. Toads worked together putting armor together, the clanging of the hammers clattering against the metal, shaping it into size for the soldiers while others were going over battle strategies and tactics with her friends. Some practised their fighting moves they learned on others. Mario walked up to her as she glanced around at the camp of buzzing activity. "Don't-a worry," he said. "With my plan, we will guarantee success." The princess remained quiet. "Don't you have anything to tell me? You look tense."

She nodded. "I am. I know that we've been preparing for this day, but my heart tells me that we're not ready. I just don't think we have a chance. I got barely any sleep last night because this was on my mind endlessly, even now as we're talking. I can't get it off my mind."

"You really want to end this war, don't you?" Mario said. She nodded. "OK, how about this? If you really want to avoid fighting him and his forces, then let's try to persuade him to stop. I'll make sure I turn myself in and hopefully, we can avoid this battle. Does that give you a little reassurance?" She shrugged. "I know I should've done this a long time ago, but I'm gonna try to set things right this time. I really want you to know that." She sniffled a few tears and hugged him for a few moments.

A couple minutes later, a Toad approached them. "Princess," he said. "I'd hate to ruin your moment, but we just saw Bowser Jr.'s forces on the horizon. Shall I get the army together?" She nodded. He ran away towards the others.

Peach glanced at Mario. "What happens if we're forced to fight them?"

He sighed. "Then we have no choice but to fight back." The army began forming in small groups with Peach's friends, all dressed up in armor, lined up at the front. Bowser Jr.'s army approached the castle. Many battalions were side-by-side that held spears and shields in front of them. Bowser Jr. and the Koopalings were lined up at the front with Kamek by his side. The bandana koopa raised his hand, signaling the whole army to stop walking. Peach gulped when she caught sight of Goombario's family among the Goomba patrol.

He cleared his throat and stepped forward. "Citizens of the Mushroom Kingdom!" he began. "Many days have passed since my father died at the hands of Mario. Because of that, I declared war upon this world and I'll not stop until I've accomplished my goal in the name of my father and anyone who dares oppose me and my army will be vanquished!" His army cheered behind him. Mario stepped forward. Murmurs fell over the entire Koopa Troop army as they exchanged glances. Bowser Jr. laughed. "Well, look who it is: the plumber who ran away! What a coincidence for you to show up!"

The plumber nodded as he fiddled with his thumbs. "Yup, it's-a me, Mario."

"Why don't you just cut the crap and explain why you're here?"

The plumber sighed. "Look, I know I made a huge mistake in killing your father, but I want to make things right and end this war. That's why you started it in the first place." He held out his hands. "I am yours to do as you please."

The koopa stroked his chin. "Well, this is interesting. I spent all this time building my army and ammunition just to defeat you guys when Mario all of a sudden decides to give himself in." He glanced at Kamek. "Hmm, what do you think of this whole ordeal?"

"Well," the magikoopa said, "He is willing to die for everyone else, and that would accomplish your goal, but that seems a little unsatisfying."

The Mushroom Kingdom soldiers glanced at each other in murmur. Mario glanced at him. "What do you mean? What part of this seems unsatisfying to you?"

"Well," Bowser Jr. said, "Just by the fact I'd rather capture you myself than have you turn yourself in. It just seems not very satisfying to me, that's all."

Mario crossed his arms. "But I'm offering you a chance to take me in. Why aren't you taking advantage of this opportunity? It's not gonna come back the next time I'm around, so now's your chance to get your hands on me and end this war."

The koopa smirked. "You think that by turning yourself in that peace will spread over the planet the moment I stab your heart? You're so stupid! I have other motives for starting this whole war in the first place and other people I blame!"

"Who would be what? Why don't you enlighten us all!"

"My pleasure." He glared at Peach.

She reared back. "You blame me?"

"Ah, try to be more shocked while you're at it," Bowser Jr. hissed. "Of course I blame you! If you weren't being so stubborn in submitting to my father, we wouldn't be in this mess, now would we?! Because you refused and he's now dead, you just ruined your own kingdom the moment I made my first strike!"

She growled. "Well, excuse me from stopping him from commencing another forced marriage! Do you really think I was going to give in to him even if he threatened my life? No! Of course I didn't! I was doing all I can to save my kingdom and buy Mario time to get to me! All I wanted was to hopefully compromise with you, but since your so stuck in your little fantasy for revenge against my people, I don't even see that happening!"

The koopa smirked. "Wait, you thought you were going to find a peaceful solution to all of this? That would take up to years in order for that to happen! I don't even see why we're delaying this battle any longer!" He began to step forward, his bandana covering his face as his army marched alongside him.

Peach sighed and walked forward towards him, her army trailing behind her as the two armies began to pick up their pace, their feet clodding the ground. She gulped. "His army's not slowing down."

"Then neither are we," Mario hissed, running until he faced into Bowser Jr.'s army. The two armies converged with each other as battle cries echoed in the air. Metal clanged against metal as blades sliced through the air. Battalions of soldiers on both sides rammed into each other, creating a huge mesh that covered the entire plains as the fighting commenced. The Toad soldiers unleashed swarms of their power-ups onto their enemies. Koopa Troopas reared into their shells, slamming into their enemies. In the midst of all the madness, Peach did her best to fight back. She slammed into incoming Chargin' Chucks and reared back when Shy Guys stuck out spears at her. She kicked them in half and the Shy Guys ran away. She huffed. She wiped the sweat off her forehead and gasped. Bowser Jr. pinned Mario to the ground, pushing his paintbrush on his neck. She ran and knocked the koopa back before helping Mario up. "Thank you." She nodded.

Bowser Jr. stood up and grabbed his brush. He ran at them, squealing. He swung his brush at Mario, who grabbed it between the palms of his hands, and threw the koopa several feet in the air before falling on his own minions. Kamek gasped and decided to help out his master. He sent out a couple blasts at Mario, who did his best to dodge them. A Tanooki Leaf laid next to a collapsed Toad, who stood up and went back in the battle. Peach quickly grabbed it and absorbed it, changing into her Tanooki form. She jumped in the air and whacked Kamek off his broom before Mario kicked the magikoopa away. The plumber sighed. "That was the second time you saved me."

"Sounds like someone needs to step up their game," Peach chuckled. A shadow appeared over her. She yanked Mario back as Bowser Jr. slammed to the ground while in his shell. He charged at Mario, who dodged him and launched at him with quick jabs as soon as the koopa reemerged. He was sent flying several feet away from them. Peach shrugged. "Huh, I guess my words did work."

"Not for long, they won't!" Kamek got back on his broom and threw fire spells at the two.

Bowser Jr. stood up, rubbing his head and growled. He pulled out a switch and summoned his Junior Clown Car. The car flew from one of the airships to Bowser Jr. as leaped into the air and landed in the seat of the vehicle. Two red boxing gloves emerged from the sides of the clown car. The vehicle surged one of the fists towards Mario as he was dodging Kamek's blasts. The boxing glove stuck itself in the ground as he tried to remove it. Mario took the chance to run along the outstretched arm to the cockpit to knock Bowser Jr. off. The koopa surged the other glove towards Mario, but he was about to strike him when Bowser Jr. pulled out a bob-omb and threw it at the plumber. The bob-omb flew over Mario's head onto the ground where it exploded. Bowser Jr. shook the clown car, trying to shake Mario off as the plumber began to lose his balance.

The plumber fell to the ground with a thud as two wrecking balls emerged as Bowser Jr. tried to wallop him. The wrecking balls swooped over the clown car and slammed onto the ground, scraping Mario's skin as he barely dodged them. Bowser Jr. smirked. "Like my new toys? Iggy gave everyone enhancements to make everyone more menacing in battle, and I say it's working."

Mario snorted. "Oh, yeah. I'm-a totally shaking my limbs to right now. They're so terrifying."

"Fine, then," Bowser Jr. huffed. "I'll make you terrified!" He rushed to Mario. Two drills emerged from the clown car as they tried to slice the plumber in half. He jumped out of the way and sucker-punched the koopa square in the jaw. He flew several feet in the air before landing back on the ground. He glanced around and scanned the battle. Around him, the brave Toads started to get the upper hand on their enemies as one-by-one they began killing off his minions. He glanced at Kamek, who shot spells from his wand. "Kamek! Summon the airships and have them fire on the ground! I want this army destroyed as fast as possible!"

The magikoopa glanced at him in confusion. "Are you sure, your Shortness? I thought we were saving them in case we were in trouble. I don't think it's a good idea to-"

"We are in trouble! Do it already!" Kamek sighed and flew to the airship fleet. The koopa smirked at Mario. "Good luck saving your army now!"

"What about yours?"

"Who cares if all my minions die here? My army's starting to die out, so I'm using the airships to even the odds!" Peach glanced up, catching sight of the incoming fleet. She glanced around for Rosalina as the ships started moving towards the battlefield. She caught the cosmos princess launching star bit blasts at enemies. "Rosalina!" The princess caught Peach running to her through the crowd.

"Can't talk right now. Busy fighting off enemies."

"But it's urgent!"

Rosalina sighed. "OK. Make it quick. What do you need?"

Peach whacked a Koopa Troopa away. "A whole fleet of airships are coming this way any second! You do magic powers, right?" Rosalina nodded. "Can you create some sort of force field to protect us?"

"I can, but once when the force field is created, I need full concentration to keep it from disintegrating. Once I lose my concentration, no more force field, so keep the minions away from me." Peach nodded. Rosalina took a deep breath and twirled her wand in the air. She shot a spell on the air that transformed into a forcefield. The field quickly spread out all over the battlefield, causing fired ammunition to explode midair as they crashed into the field. "Now, quickly! Try and find a way to get everyone out of the cannons' fire! I can't hold this force field forever!" Peach nodded and ran away.

* * *

Bowser Jr. looked around in dismay at the forcefield. He ran to Ludwig. "Where in the world did this thing come from?"

"I don't know," Ludwig said. "Someone with magic somehow conjured it up."

"Well, there must be someway to destroy it!"

Ludwig stayed silent while fighting some Toads. "There are two options," he said, punching a Toad back. "Either we find the source and kill it or fire on the force field enough that it will break. Why not try both?"

Bowser Jr. smiled. "An excellent idea, Ludwig! You find the source and I'll order the ships to continue firing upon the shield." He ran to give out his order. He met Kamek, who was outside the forcefield.

"Are you OK, your Shortness? How's it going in there?"

"Fine. I need you to tell the fleet to fire at the shield. It will eventually break. Go! Tell them now!" Kamek nodded and flew back to the airships.

Ludwig glanced around the battlefield. In the corner, Rosalina held her wand in the air as she kept her connection with the shield. He smiled. "Bingo." He ran at Rosalina, but Peach knocked him back with a kick in the face. He spat out blood and smirked. "Looks like you finally decided to fight back, did you? How amusing."

"You can find this amusing as you want, but I'm not going to let you touch my friend," she hissed.

"So be it." Ludwig glanced at the minions around him. "Minions! Attack the blue girl! She's holding the force field up!" The minions diverged with whatever enemy they were fighting and charged at her. Peach did her best to fend them off as best as she could, but the minions quickly overwhelmed her.

Yoshi gasped and ran to ground-pound the minions surrounding her. "Need some help?" She nodded. Luigi, Donkey Kong, and Diddy Kong joined Yoshi. They all kept the minions at bay with whatever energy they had left.

* * *

"Keep firing on that force field!" Kamek yelled. Ammunition continued to fly on the force field.

Wario and Waluigi watched the action and scratched their heads. "You really think this is gonna work?" Wario asked. "That thing looks pretty strong and we only have a limited amount of ammo. That's a bit of a risk if you ask me."

"But it's a risk Lord Junior's willing to take. Don't you take risks every time you guys rob banks?"

Wario nodded. "Touché." A couple minutes later, he pointed to the shield. "Look! It's working!" Cracks emerged from the sides as they expanded throughout the shield. It broke into shards, creating a loud boom before dissipating into thin air.

Rosalina collapsed to the ground, exhausted. Peach gasped and ran to her. "I'm sorry. I couldn't hold it any longer. I'm just so tired."

The ground shook as the airships fired more ammunition. She sighed. She had no choice but to give out the order she didn't want to say. "RETREAT!" she yelled at the top of her lungs. "Everyone! To the castle immediately!" Her soldiers did as they were told and ran back to the castle as the explosions continued. Bowser Jr.'s soldiers tried to stop them from retreating. Peach turned around. Mario was still fighting Bowser Jr. and they didn't show signs of stopping anytime soon as the explosions continued. She glanced at them as they tried to land one blow after another on each other.

Luigi ran up to her just as she was about to run after them. "What are you doing?" he yelled as he grabbed her hand. "We have to leave now!"

"No!" Peach protested. "I have to save my future husband's life! Bowser Jr.'s gonna kill him if I don't!" The ground continued to shake.

"We don't-a have time! We have to leave now!"

"And risk his life getting taken away?! Why would you suggest such a thing?! He's your brother!"

"I know that!" Luigi yelled. "We can always rescue him later! He's not going to die!" Peach sighed and nodded, a couple tears flowing down her cheeks. "I care about him, too," Luigi continued. "We will rescue him. Right now, we need to get out of here." He ran towards the castle with Peach trailing behind. She glanced behind her as the Koopalings started to gang up on Mario, throwing blows left and right. The plumber didn't stand a chance against the combined forces. Bowser Jr. stood on the sidelines, laughing.

Peach shook her head. She was not willing to let him go so easily. "I'm sorry." She yanked her hand out of Luigi's grasp and ran to Mario against Luigi's protests.

Mario laid on the ground, battered and bruised. All the Mushroom Kingdom soldiers all fled the area as the ships began firing into Toad Town. One of them flew to the ground as Bowser Jr. knelt to Mario's level. He scoffed. "Look at you. A couple months ago, you arrived back at the castle full of optimism that you would win this battle. You had a good whole plan set out and you thought that things were finally starting to go your way for once, but now, you're in the same place you were in the first place. Now that I finally have you in my grasp, I can finally put an end to you." He glanced at his minions as he began to the airship. "Round him up." Morton and Roy grabbed him by the arms as he struggled to get out and they climbed aboard the airship. "And make sure no one goes in or out of that town by the time I come back!" he yelled to the remaining minions before turning around.

"No. No! Please! Let me go! I'm-a sorry! I'll change! I promise!"

"Well guess what? You should have made that promise a long time ago!" Bowser Jr. hissed. "You know very well that you brought this on yourself, so you have no one to blame except you!" The door latch closed as the airship began to lift off. Mario turned around. Peach ran after him.

He gasped. "Peach! Don't-a leave me!"

"Mario!"

Bowser Jr. growled. "Leave us alone!" He threw a bob-omb at Peach, causing her to fly back several feet. Burn marks covered her entire body as she ran back to the castle, dodging past whatever minions who survived the battle entering the castle town. She sighed, not knowing if she'll ever see Mario again. As she ran inside the castle, Toadsworth caught her in her arms as she cried.

"There, there," he said. "Everything's gonna be alright, you hear me?"

Peach looked at him. "How do you know that? Toad Town is being invaded by Bowser Jr.'s army. I don't think everything will be alright." She glanced around. "Where's everyone else?"

"Down in the basement floor. Some of the Toads offered to stay and fight the remaining minions when they enter the castle."

Peach nodded. "OK. Can I ask you a favor?" The elderly Toad nodded. "Can you please find a way to contact my friend Daisy? She lives in Sarasaland and she's the only one that can help my kingdom in getting Mario back. Make sure to tell them of the current situation to wait at the Dark Land border." Toadsworth nodded as Peach began to find her friends to go get Mario back.

He ran out to the back into Toad Town where the mail service was. He entered the doors where Koopa Troopas huddled. "Sir, we're closed down," an elderly koopa said.

"I don't care. I need to send an urgent message to someone." He found a pen and paper and quickly wrote it. "Who can carry this? This needs to go to Princess Daisy of Sarasaland."

"Got just the person. Parakarry!"

"Coming, boss!" A Koopa Troopa wearing brown goggles and clothing flew into the room.

"Go deliver this letter to the address here. And don't you dare lose this letter!" He nodded, took the letter, and flew away towards Sarasaland.

**Sarasaland: Princess Daisy's Castle**

Princess Daisy sat upon her throne, drumming her fingers when Parakarry flew through the doorway. "Mail delivery for Princess Daisy!"

"That's me!" Parakarry handed her the letter and flew away. She opened it and read the following words.

_Dear Princess Daisy,_

_I, Toadsworth, advisor of the Mushroom Kingdom, write this letter to you for help. Peach and her forces have had a devastating defeat and have been driven to hide in the castle. Master Mario has been captured by the leader of the Koopa Troop and is going to be killed soon. Please send some forces and meet at the border between the Mushroom Kingdom and Dark Land. We need your help._

_Sincerely, Toadsworth._

After reading the letter, Daisy stood up. "Guards, gather some troops together! We have a friend to save!"

* * *

_Thank you for reading this week's chapter. Make sure you follow, favorite, or review this story if you're enjoying it because they are appreciated. See you next Friday!_


	12. Chapter 12: Bowser's Castle Raid

_Hello, everyone! Hope you all had a happy Thanksgiving yesterday and are ready for another chapter because here it is! Enjoy!_

* * *

Chapter 12: Bowser's Castle Raid

**Dark Land: Bowser's Castle**

The airships landed near the castle as Bowser Jr. and his minions walked into the castle. He glanced at Kamek. "Make sure that the force outside keeps an eye out for Peach and her friends in case they make it past the town. Have scouts in every bit of this kingdom so I can be notified when they're coming." The magikoopa nodded and exited the castle. He glared at Mario, who was in Roy and Morton's grasp. "And you're coming with me." The plumber huffed. The four went downstairs into the lower stories in the castle. They walked down the dark hall until they came upon a dark cell with no windows to bring in light.

Mario yelled as the Koopalings threw him into the cell before wrapping him up in chains attached to a wall and locking the door. "Let-a me out of here!" he hissed, wriggling in his chains. "You can't keep me locked up in here!"

Bowser Jr. laughed. "I'll do what I please! I'm not going to let you go only when I got you in my grasp not too long ago; that would be stupid! Besides," he added, grinning as he turned to Mario, "I have big plans and you have caused enough interference. I liked it better when you weren't around, interfering with my plans. All that matters now is sooner or later, your friends will be staging an attack on my castle like always to come rescue the damsel-in-distress, this time it being you, which I find a little funny, and I will have a force staged and ready to combat them." Mario snickered. The koopa crossed his arms. "What part of this is so funny to you?"

"Oh," he said, "Just by the fact that you don't have enough forces to combat Peach and her's. You're not gonna win!"

"Well, guess what," Bowser Jr. said, "Neither will she. Might I remind you that I have the capital under control? There's no way Peach's forces are making it past the front gates. Kamek suggested that I have a force remain here until she and her troops come, that is if they ever will." He walked towards the door. "By the looks of it, she also has limited troops, so even if she did make it past my troops, she won't reach you in time. Now if you excuse me, I have a castle to take care of, then when your friends have surrendered to me, you will have met your demise in front of all of them, which is the perfect revenge! Enjoy the last bit of daylight tomorrow, because it'll be the last you'll ever see!" He laughed and closed the prison door to leave Mario to moan in the dark.

**Toad Town: Peach's Castle**

The stench of blood hung in the air as countless bodies laid on the ground, stinking the night air. This is the aftermath of what has been a grueling battle between the Koopa Troop and Mushroom Kingdom. After Peach's forces retreated, Bowser Jr. automatically established his reign and had his forces take over the town after he captured Mario and scout the area for any signs of Peach and her forces and capture anyone affiliated with her, who hid themselves deep within the castle's basement. Destroyed houses filled the area as ash covered the once happy town. Toads were lined up one-by-one as chains wrapped around their arms and were taken prisoner. Peach ran along the basement floor, her feet splashing into puddles of water. After sending out Toadsworth to contact Daisy for help to rescue Mario, she began to look for her friends. After a couple hours of searching, her friends were resting their bodies against a wall. She smiled and ran up to them. She hugged Luigi first. "Oh my goodness, you're safe!" she cried.

"Of course we are," Luigi said. "Where have you been? I thought I told you to come back to the castle."

"I know, but I wanted to try to rescue Mario, but I was too late. The ship was already in takeoff and I was too late." She sniffled. "We had such a good start at the beginning of this war, and now Bowser Jr.'s got the upper hand on us." She stood up. "But I'm not ready to quit. I asked Toadsworth to contact Daisy for reinforcements. We're gonna get my fiance back!"

Rosalina smiled. "I'm so glad you're so determined to get him back and we are right there with you to the end." She glanced at Peach's finger and saw the ring she was wearing. "That's a really beautiful ring."

Peach nodded. "I know. Mario gave it to me when he proposed."

"And you've held onto it ever since," Rosalina finished. "Throughout all of this, you've never lost faith in him. Even when he ran away, your faith in him never wavered."

Peach nodded. "Yes, it wasn't. He was the one that has loved me all of these years and I am not going to let Bowser Jr. or _anyone else _stand in my way of my marriage."

"Then let's-a make sure that you have your wedding!" Luigi said. "He's my brother! I'm most certainly not going to let Bowser Jr. kill him. Let's come up with a plan to rescue him tonight!" Everyone cheered with their newfound determination to get Mario back.

**Later that night…**

By nighttime, Peach and her friends successfully came up with a plan to get Mario back. They exited the basement through the door to the castle grounds where Bowser Jr.'s troops patrolled the perimeter holding lit torches. After they passed, the gang maneuvered through the grounds, avoiding the troops as they went towards the front of the castle. After they went to the front of the castle, they wandered into Toad Town, which was heavily guarded and the gates were enclosed and locked, preventing anyone from going in or out. Peach turned to her friends. "You guys remember the plan?" They nodded. "Good. Let's get moving." The group split into two as they avoided the torches the minions were holding as they walked. One-by-one, they snatched the minions in patrol and snuffed their torches to check where the keys were and remove any source of light. The others created noise on the other side of town, attracting the rest of the nearby minions, giving a chance for the other group to unlock the door. Once the minions left to check out the noise, Donkey Kong stood on his legs and began to pick at the lock. The keys unlocked both locks and the gate opened. Peach's group joined with the other group and they took off towards Bowser's Castle. A couple hours later, they met with Daisy, who was leading a couple of soldiers behind her to help them with the raid. Peach sighed and hugged her best friend. "Thank you so much for coming."

The Sarasaland princess nodded. "Of course! As soon as I received Toadsworth's message, I knew I had to help. Word does travel fast. I'm so glad I can help you. So, where are we going exactly?"

"Bowser's Castle. That's where Bowser Jr.'s keeping Mario. We need to get him back and end this war. It has gone long enough."

"Don't worry. I'm with you every step of the way. Let's get going."

**Dark Land: Bowser Castle**

Mario sighed as he laid against the wall, glancing at the black walls. He tossed and turned in his bed, unable to get a wrinkle of sleep since Bowser Jr. delivered his threat. The plumber tugged on his shackles, longing to break free, but they stuck to the wall and didn't budge. He continued to yank on them. His breath quivered as he scoured the floor for something sharp to cut through. His ruckus started to attract attention from the guards. One of them, a Hammer Bro, snorted themselves awake. He glanced around as the noise continued. "What the? Hey!" Mario stopped moving. "What do you think you're doing?"

"N-Nothing."

"Really? For nothing, you sure are creating a lot of noise." He shook his head. "I get it. You're trying to escape. Don't even think about it. Kamek put some magic on those chains. From what I've heard, everytime you tug on them, they drain your energy, and when you run out of that energy, you'll become so tired, your heart will die! Good luck escaping that!" He laughed as he walked away. Mario continued to give on the chains, but his arms gave way as he fell to his knees, heaving with every breath he took.

**Outside Bowser's Castle **

Boom Boom sighed as he sat outside his station, keeping an eye out for Peach's forces as ordered by Kamek. He glanced at the burning land surrounded by lava, his eyes gazing from side to side as he yawned. He was about to close his eyes when moving figures came in the distance. He rubbed his eyes and jumped from the rock he was standing and ducked behind some rocks. He gasped when Peach and Luigi came in his sights and he chatted his teeth. "Peach and her forces are coming! I have to go tell Lord Junior!" He ran towards the castle when he tripped over a pebble, sending him toppling down a hill. He landed near the edge of the lava lake, gasping as he backed away when he tripped over something else. He turned behind him. A pile of bones laid beside his feet. He jerked backwards. He gazed at the pile of bones further. The bones were completely deskined and turned charcoal. Tufts of hair remained intact and were turned into a dark reddish color. The face resembled someone he once knew. He gasped. "No way! It can't be! I have to tell Lord Junior about this!" He ran towards the castle with the bones in hand.

A couple minutes later, he ran towards the fleet that was stationed outside. Pom Pom, glanced at him in confusion. "What are you doing with a pile of bones?"

"That doesn't matter now. Peach's forces are on their way here! We have to stop them!" He ran towards the castle.

"Where the heck are you going then?"

"I have something to do first!" He ran inside. Pom Pom sighed. He ran down the hallway when he ran into someone and collapsed to the ground, dropping the bones. "What the?" Kamek stood up. He glared at Boom Boom. "Do you mind watching where you're going? You have eyes, you know!"

"I'm sorry," Boom Boom said, picking up the bones. "I just have to show Lord Junior something." He held them out.

Kamek crossed his arms. "You really want to waste his time with a pile of bones? Are you serious?"

"Just take a closer look and you'll recognize who it is." The magikoopa rolled his eyes. He glanced at the pile of bones when he stared at the face.

He scratched his head. "Wait a sec, is this-"

"Lord Bowser's bones? Yes."

"I don't understand," Kamek said. "What do you want me to do with them?"

"Maybe we can find a way to bring him back. Maybe you know some sort of spell."

Kamek scratched his head. "I'm not sure. I might be able to conjure up something." He began to walk. "Follow me."

"Where are we going?"

Kamek smirked. "Someplace no one will find us." Boom Boom scratched his head and followed the magikoopa anyway. They wandered down a dark hallway. Kamek placed his hand against the wall and a staircase opened from below. "Come. We have a lot of work to do." He and Boom Boom walked down the stairs, the entrance closing behind them.

**Outside Bowser's Castle**

Peach cried a battle cry as she and her friends charged through the fronts of Bowser Jr.'s forces. She huffed. "Are these the best soldiers Bowser Jr. could throw at us? These soldiers are easier than at the battle of Toad Town!"

Luigi ducked and kicked a Dry Bones back. "I know, right? Why are we even bothering with them when we can make a run to the castle? They're distracted, so let's-a gather our friends and make a run for it!" Peach nodded as the two split off. She ran towards Daisy, who was busy fighting off some Shy Guys. "Daisy!" The Sarasaland princess turned around. "Do you think your troops can keep Bowser Jr.'s troops busy enough for us to go in and nab Mario?"

Daisy looked around. Sarasaland troops tangled with Koopa Troop soldiers in a point where they were starting to retreat. "Yeah, I think so. Let's go and get Mario!" Luigi appeared next to her with Rosalina, Diddy Kong, Yoshi, and Donkey Kong with him. They busted through the doors.

They glanced around the hallway. "Now where do you think they're keeping Mario?"

"Our best bet is to capture one of the minions and interrogate him," said Luigi. "We don't have time to search the entire castle." They nodded and spotted a couple Fire Bros chatting to themselves. Peach nodded and the group ambushed them. Once when they were subdued, Donkey Kong slammed them against the wall.

"Tell me where Mario is," Peach hissed. "Now!"

One of the Fire Bros huffed. "Ha! Good luck mustering that information out of us! We'll never tell you!"

"Then maybe a little more pain might make you spill the beans." Donkey Kong punched both Fire Bros in the chest, causing them to wheeze. "Tell us where he is this instant!"

"OK! OK! We'll tell you! Just don't hurt us anymore! Mario's on the lower floors in the prison. Just go down one hallway until you see a set of stairs then take a left! He's in his cage! You can't miss him!"

Peach huffed. "See? That wasn't hard. Let's get moving!" They ran to the prison leaving the bruised Fire Bros behind them.

* * *

The stairs went underground as Kamek lit torches with his wand, illuminating the dark hallway that stretched down as they walked. Boom Boom gazed around. "Woah, what is this place? I've never seen this place before."

"No one has," Kamek said. "Only I know about this place." He opened a door. A cauldron with sizzling liquid sat in the middle as a book laid on a pedestal next to it. Bottles of mysterious ingredients were laid out on shelves. Kamek grabbed his book and began flipping through it. Boom Boom sat Bowser's bones down and glanced around the room. "Is this where you perform all your spells?"

The magikoopa rammed through his ingredients while glancing at his book. "Not all my spells are performed down here. Just complicated spells where I get to practice some unique magic and try to get out of my roots of just using my wand all the time." He began putting ingredients into the cauldron, the liquid bubbling with everytime one was put in. After they were all put in, he glanced at Boom Boom. "Now put the bones into the cauldron, quickly." Boom Boom nodded and placed them into the cauldron, the bones sinking and dissolving into the liquid. Kamek held his wand in the air and began chanting a spell he memorized from his book. The liquid inside it glowed a purple color as the cauldron began expanding as Kamek continued to chant. Cracks emerged from it as it expanded. Kamek gasped. "Quickly, back up!" The two backed away as the cauldron got bigger until it cracked open, sending pieces flying in different directions. A roar emerged from inside as the smoke disappeared, revealing a large and muscular figure as it stepped out of the shadows. Kamek smiled. It glanced around. "What the? Why the heck am I in my castle?"

"A success!" the magikoopa shouted. "A brilliant success! Welcome back to us, your Narliness!"

"Kamek?" Bowser said, scratching his head. "What the heck happened? Why am I alive when I should be dead? You have a lot of explaining to do!"

"Don't worry. Let me explain. You see, your bones were stumbled across by this guy-" He pointed to Boom Boom. "While he was on patrol. So, when I found him with them, I decided that I might be able to bring you back, so he and I came down here to my secret lair to bring you back and now here you are! It's so great to see you again!"

Bowser scratched his chin. "Interesting. So the lava killed me after all."

"Of course it has," Kamek said. "You were reduced to bones! But man, have you missed so much from your absence. Your son has accomplished so much while you were-" He paused. "Dead. I have to tell you all that has happened these past couple of months!"

Bowser sighed at the mention of his son. "Bowser Jr.," he murmured. The castle shook from above. Bowser looked around at the sight of the noise. "What in the world is going up there? I feel like this castle's under attack."

"It is, but rest assured your minions are on it. Would you like to know what's been going on since you died?"

The koopa smiled. "Of course. Tell me."

* * *

Bowser Jr. turned in his blankets. He threw them off as he stomped out of his room. The ground in the castle shook. One of the minions ran to him, panting. "What in the world is going on?! I'm trying to get some sleep! Whatever party you're throwing, stop it at once!"

"Lord Junior, we're not throwing any party! Peach and her forces are attacking the castle as I speak! She's breaking through the fronts! She'll be here any minute!" He ran back outside, screaming.

The koopa growled. "She's here for Mario. Just when I was starting to win. Get moving! Stop them from entering the castle!"

"What about you? What are you going to do?"

"Something I should've done a long time ago," Bowser Jr. growled as he walked passed him towards the prison. He traveled down a set of stairs into a dark hallway where the guards kept the prisoners. He stopped at one of the gates. He glared at the Hammer Bro. "Open the door."

"Sir, are you sure? You-"

"Just do it already!" The Hammer Bro nodded and opened the door. Bowser Jr. walked in and glared at Mario, who was lying on the ground.

Mario glanced at the koopa. "What do you want? Here to-a give me another threat? If so, do it already and leave me be."

"I'm sorry, but that won't happen. There's been a change of plans." Mario eyed him. "You see, Peach and her dumb forces are here to rescue you, and I won't let that happen. I'm tired of waiting. If she wants you so badly, then she'd better hurry it up before you meet your demise!" He locked at the guards. "Round him up!" They nodded as they undid Mario's cuffs. He tried to escape from their grasp, but his legs gave way as his body didn't have enough energy to sustain itself.

"No! Please! Don't kill me! I don't want to die!" Mario's screams echoed down the hall as they went down to the throne room. His wriggling caused his hat to fall off.

The Koopalings stood outside the door as Bowser Jr. gave them orders. "Make sure Peach and her friends don't enter this room." They nodded. "Time for you to die!" Bowser Jr. and Mario disappeared in the throne room.

* * *

Peach and her friends ran down the long hallway, slamming down any minion that stood in their way. "Come on!" Peach yelled. "We gotta be close!" They ran down another hallway. Luigi started to trail from the group when an object caught his eye.

"Guys!" Everyone stopped running. "Maybe this will tell you where Mario is."

Peach gasped. "His hat! Maybe he escaped. We need to go find him!" Before someone could respond, the plumber's screams echoed down the hall. Everyone gasped and ran down the hallway and ran up the stairs. As they ran, Mario's screams got louder where they could be heard inside a gray and spiked stone door that led into the throne room from a long hallway. "Come on!" Peach yelled. "We have to save him!"

"Wait! There might be some sort of trap!" Peach ignored Daisy and ran towards the gray spiked doors when a magic blast zoomed and crashed into her. She rolled along the ground.

"You should've listened to her." Around her, the Koopalings emerged from their hiding places with scepters in their hands. Ludwig glared at her. "It's such a pity you won't be able to get to your precious boyfriend in time. For all we know, he could be dead!"

"Shut up! You don't know that! I hear his screams inside!"

"Yeah, his screams of death. Face it, princess, he's already dead. You just don't want to admit it."

"Don't listen to him!" Daisy called. "He's trying to stall us!" Peach sighed. She stood up and whacked Ludwig back with a slap and made a run for the door. Morton retreated in his shell and whacked Peach back. She slipped over her dress and nose-dived to the floor. Luigi growled and ran to head-butt the gray Koopaling before he had a chance to whack her with his hammer. Morton rubbed his nose and swung his hammer, ultimately hitting Roy.

The pink Koopaling growled. "Watch where you swing that hammer of yours!" He readied his scepter and launched a magenta blast at Luigi at a high speed. He dodged the blast and it hit both Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong, who flew several feet in the air before landing on the ground with a thud.

Donkey Kong growled. "That's it! I've had it with you!" He ran at the pink Koopaling, swinging his huge fists around as he tried to hit him, but was stunned when Morton ground-pounded the ground before he and Roy launched a magic blast which flew him into Daisy. He got on his feet and ran at the pink Koopaling, who was now dodging peanut blasts from Diddy Kong. Having him distracted, Donkey Kong tried to whack him, but he was hit in the face by one of Lemmy's circus balls while he rode on Iggy's chariot. With the huge ape to the floor, Roy and Morton ganged up on him and punched him with all their might. Daisy sat up and ran at the two and sent them both back with a butt whack. She helped the ape up. "Thank you," Donkey Kong said. She nodded. Their celebration was cut short when Wendy shot rings at them, but Peach came in and whacked her back, causing them to be lodged in the castle walls. The fighting continued for a couple minutes as seperate groups were formed, fighting their own enemies. Larry ducked when Yoshi swung his feet at him. He rammed into the dinosaur and they both collapsed to the ground. Yoshi shoved Larry off him, causing the Koopalings to drop his wand as he landed on the ground. He gasped as Yoshi grabbed it with his tongue.

"Hey, be careful with that! You don't know how to use it!" The dinosaur ignored him and launched a spell at him, hitting him square in the chest as he flew into Iggy and Lemmy, knocking them all to the ground. Yoshi smiled with the result and launched spells at the rest of them before they fell to the ground, exhausted. His friends took the time to tie them up with rope they found in a nearby storage room before proceeding. Before they could run inside, someone threw a bob-omb at them. Wario and Waluigi showed up with explosives in their hands.

"About time you two showed up!" Ludwig hissed, squirming in the rope. "We really could've used you earlier!"

"Sorry," Wario said. "I was just gathering explosives."

Peach stood up and turned to them. "What are you two working with the enemy for?"

"Because we can," Waluigi said. "We're in it for the money! You guys getting Mario will end that!" Wario slapped him on the forehead and glared at him.

"So you're working with them for money, huh?" She glanced at Rosalina. "Mind disposing of these two?" She nodded. Wario yelled and threw a bob-omb at her. She repelled it with her magic and launched the bob-omb back at them. They fell back several feet and Rosalina tied them up with rope before they could recover. "I'll deal with you two later. Let's go save my boyfriend!"

* * *

_Thank you all so much for reading this chapter! Make sure you follow, favorite, or review if you're enjoying it! Also, Happy Black Friday! Be careful out there if you're buying presents! Next update is next Tuesday!_


	13. Chapter 13: Return of Koopa and Plumber

_Hello! Dbot here! Make sure you have a couple of napkins because this is my most emotional chapter yet._

* * *

Chapter 13: The Return of Koopa and Plumber

Bowser Jr. yelled in rage as he threw Mario against the wall. Before he had a chance to get up, he kicked the plumber in the groin and punched him before throwing him again. "This is what you get for killing my father!" he yelled. He landed blow after blow on him before he started wheezing. "I've been waiting months for this and now, I can finally have you dead!" Mario laid on the ground with blood covering his beaten and bruised body and screamed as Bowser Jr. continued to beat him up.

Peach and the others stood outside the gray spiked door as Mario cried and Bowser Jr. yelled from the inside. She cringed and nodded to the others. They ran and kicked the doors open. They slammed against the stone walls, shaking the throne room. Bowser Jr. jumped at the sound and groaned. Mario wheezed and smiled. "Oh, come on! I was doing so well until you dweebs had to show up! Can't you see I'm busy?!"

"I don't care!" Peach hissed. "Let Mario go now! I'm tired of your games!" Bowser Jr. laughed. She crossed her arms. "You think this is funny?!"

The koopa's laughter died down. "I'm sorry. Of course this situation is funny! Throughout all my life, you've been the damsel-in-distress and Mario's been the savior, but this time, the roles are reversed! I've never seen you with such a fiery attitude before!"

"That's because I wasn't in a situation to show it," Peach growled. "And now I'm tired of it! Give me back Mario now!"

Bowser Jr. snorted. "Why should I? Do you know how long I've been waiting for this moment? Do you know how many sleepless nights I had because he killed my father?! No! You have no idea what I've been through these past few months, and since I am so close to accomplishing what I started, you think I'm just going to give him up?! No! I don't care how much you want him back! I want him dead for what he's done!"

Peach tried her best to control her shaking limbs. "But what good will that do? Do you realize how much bloodshed there's been because you started this war? In the battle over Toad Town, do you even know how many bodies on both sides were slain? How much more blood and destruction has to be before you're satisfied?"

"However much it takes," Bowser Jr. growled. "If it results in Mario's death, then it's worth it, so if you excuse me, I have someone to kill." He held out a knife in his hands, about to stab Mario in the heart.

"P-Please!" the plumber whimpered, his whole body quivering as he struggled to back away from him, but his injuries caused him to stop. "I don't-a want to die! I didn't mean to kill him! Yes, I was angry of Bowser trying to marry her, but I've never felt so much guilt in my life! I felt so guilty that I isolated myself for days! I cried every night about the harm I did and had terrors of him every time I saw my reflection in the water! Please, have mercy on me!"

"Why should I show you mercy?!" the koopa yelled. "You never showed it to my father, so as far as I'm concerned, you don't deserve any!" He held the knife in the air and squeezed Mario's neck, causing him to gag. "Say goodbye, Italian scum!" Peach screamed and ran to the koopa, kicking him as the knife clattered on the floor. He stood up and growled. "You have no right to interfere in my business, princess!"

Peach huffed. "I have every right in the world! I'm not going to let you take a life for a life because that will just cause an endless cycle of vengeance and death! You need to think about the long term consequences of your actions! Look what happened to Mario and where got him: in isolation and the starting of a war!"

"I didn't ask for your opinion! And don't you dare compare me to him!" He pointed at Mario.

"You didn't have to," said the pink princess. "You got my opinion from me, anyway." She paused. "Look, I'm only trying to end this war. Look, you're very young. You lack guidance and have made every reckless decision based on your emotions. You need help and I want to help you, but violence isn't the right way. Please, I beg you. Let me help you. Let's end this pain and suffering. You need to forgive him no matter how hard it is. Let us end this long conflict between the Mushroom Kingdom and the Koopa Troop. I can't take anymore of this violence."

"Who cares! You have no idea what I've been through, so there's no way I can just change my ways in an instant!"

"I know, but please hear out. There's a story that I told Mario a long time ago before the war started. When I was a little girl, I didn't have much of a family growing up. I didn't even know what happened to my parents. My mother died when I was five and my father disappeared when I was nine and I had to take up the role of princess early in my life." She paused as tears stroked her cheeks. "I struggled just to get by everyday because all I thought about were my parents. I missed them so much and I had to face so many obstacles. It was hard, but I had someone who helped me, Toadsworth. He watched over me when I was a baby and guided me every step of the way. With him, I gain so much experience. He helped me, and now I want to help you. We've been through the same struggles. I know what it feels like to lose your parents and feel like the whole world's against you, but please, you have to forgive him, no matter how hard your heart pangs it. Violence has only made things worse for both you and Mario. You have to listen to me."

Bowser Jr. turned to Mario, picking up the knife and ran to him, screaming. Peach clenched her teeth as the koopa hoisted the knife above the plumber's chest, growling for several minutes. Mario's body quivered back as he backed away in fright. Bowser Jr. glanced at his face. The terror that he caused frightened the plumber so much, his skin started to turn pale. He sighed and dropped the knife. Tears stroked the koopa's cheeks. "You're not even worth it anymore," he murmured. He sniffled and screamed. "I just want my papa!" His shrill cries echoed throughout the halls. "I miss him so much!"

"There, there," Peach said, comforting him as he cried. Mario sighed as he gazed upon the crying koopa and looked away. "You're not alone. I went through the same troubles you did growing up. You need guidance, and that's what I'm here for."

"I caused so much pain! I don't know if I'll be able to keep going!"

"Nonsense," Peach huffed. "Don't go saying that! You can't go into the future with that kind of mindset! You need to have faith. Please, the future is what you make it, but only if you move on with the first step being forgiveness."

The koopa sighed. "I don't know if I can do that."

"You have to," Peach said. "Look at Mario." The koopa glanced at the plumber who gazed at the floor. "He's felt so much guilt these past few months that he could use some reassurance."

The koopa ran to him and squeezed him in a hug while he wasn't looking. "I'm so sorry."

Mario looked at him in shock. "What in the world? How are you forgiving me so easily?! I don't-a understand!"

"Because," Bowser Jr. said, "I now realize all the harm I created. I was selfish and only wanted your head on a stick, but since Peach persuaded me to forgive you, I'd figure that you need something to ease your pain, so maybe, by ending the suffering, we can both move on to be great kings." He paused and sighed. "I know this is so out of the blue, but I was wrong for what I did. I shouldn't have caused this war and because of it, many organisms on both sides died. I'm sorry for causing you so much misery. I always thought you were the kind of person that easily rebounded from things like these, but I guess I was wrong. Even heroes have their breaking points."

"I could say the same thing about you," Mario said. "I held in my anger for many years so I could put the kingdom first, but since Bowser tried to force Peach to marry her, I knew I couldn't-a hold in my anger anymore, and killing your father caused you to reach your breaking point. I know I'm a person who does heroic stuff and I wanted to lead this kingdom and set a good example, but ever since his death, I don't know if that's going to happen."

Luigi walked to him. "Bro, please don't say that. Remember what I told you back in the canyon? That no matter how hard things get, don't ever lose hope because if you do, then you're gone in the wind forever. You dreamed about this your entire life. You committed months of training from Peach so you could become an excellent king and continue to set a good example. Please don't give up on that now." Everyone nodded with him in agreement.

Mario sighed. "OK. If everyone wants me to become king, then I'll do my best to set things right." Everyone cheered for him.

"Oh, how touching," said a deep voice. "It really lightens the mood." Everyone turned. Bowser emerged from the shadows. Burns, bumps, and bruises covered his entire body.

"BOWSER?!" everyone exclaimed.

Bowser Jr. ran to him. "Papa!" he cried as he hugged him. "You're alive! But how? I saw you fall over the cliffside with my own eyes! How did you survive that?"

His father sighed. "The truth is, I didn't survive that fall. The last thing I remember was the lava tearing each and every cell in my body. The heat was so overwhelming even though I fell there for practically my whole life, my body just gave out. I remember my body giving way, so I just let go as the lava reduced me to bones, according to Kamek."

Bowser Jr. scratched his head. "Wait a sec. What does Kamek have to do with this?" He looked at the magikoopa. "What did you do to him?"

"I brought him back to life, of course," said the magikoopa. "During the invasion of the castle, one of the minions stumbled upon his bones lying near the lava river, so he brought them to me so I could find a way to bring him back with a magic spell." He held out his scepter. "Now the Koopa King has returned!"

"After Kamek brought me back to life, he told me everything that you went through," Bowser said. He hugged his son. "You have done an excellent job of maturing to be a leader. I'm so proud of you. I'm so sorry for not being there for you."

Bowser Jr smiled and hugged him. "It's OK, papa."

There was a moment of silence as the two koopas embraced their reunion. Mario crossed his arms. "Wow. We're all so stoked to see the mighty Koopa King again, ready to torture us all."

"Must you always ruin the moment, plumber?" Bowser growled, glaring at him. "I'm not in the mood for your sass, so shut up."

"Sorry, but look. Having you back just dampens the mood, you know? One minute, Bowser Jr. and I were trying to make amends and end this war and then one minute later you suddenly show up out of the blue after being brought back to life and decide to ruin my moment at trying to make amends and end this war so we can finally have peace between us, but nope. You just happen to show right in the middle of our conversation. How convenient of you."

Bowser smirked. "I know right. So, let me get something straight. From what I've overheard, my son captured you and Peach's forces tried to rescue you. When she arrived, she tried her whole persuasion to change my son's ways of ending this whole conflict between the Koopa Troop and the Mushroom Kingdom and you tried to make amends with him?" Mario sighed and nodded. The Koopa King bursted out laughing. "I don't believe that for one second! My son would never change his ways! He knows that revenge in his heart is too big to be changed by anything else!"

"But Dad," Bowser Jr. said, "It's true! We even apologized to each other about it! Please, you have to believe me!"

"And why should I?! You know very well that's not you! You know in your heart that he doesn't deserve any! He killed me and you vowed that you would get your revenge on the whole Mushroom Kingdom! I don't know why you would stop when you've already made huge progress! You're this close to accomplishing your goal and now you want to turn your back on it?! I thought the son I raised was one that would show no mercy, but you instead decide to show some on him?!" He pointed at Mario. Bowser facepalmed himself. "Where have I gone wrong in my teachings? Fine, if you're going to be so soft to finish what you started, then I'll finish it for you! Besides, I could use some revenge myself, anyway. I'll teach you how to not be so soft on your enemies!" He glared at Mario. "You have poisoned my son with your illusions of peace and mercy! You being alive is still a crime, anyway. Time for me to finish you off!"

"No!" Peach ran in front of him. "No! Please, I don't want anymore fighting! Please, there must be a way to end this peacefully! Violence won't get us anywhere! Please, don't fight each other!"

Bowser pushed her away. She rolled along the ground. "Your words are meaningless to me! I don't care if you want mercy. That's not gonna happen! The only way to finish this is by killing Mario! No other way will sway me!" He glared at the plumber, his throat growling as he stared at him with darted eyes of hatred. Mario sighed, not ready to get into another fight after a harsh beating by Bowser Jr., but reluctantly got into a fighting stance. Bowser growled and charged at him, trying to wham him. Mario tried to dodge him, but he stopped midway and collapsed on the ground and cried out due to the pain. Bowser used this opportunity as he rammed him straight into the wall, causing more pain for the plumber as he screamed. Bowser smiled to see his long-time enemy in pain. Peach held back her tears as best as she could. Bowser smirked and grabbed Mario by the throat. "You're so pathetic," he scoffed. "You can't even stand on your own two feet after Bowser Jr. gave you a small beating. I have to thank my son for weakening you in the first place. He just made things all too easy for me!" He threw Mario down the hall. The plumber slammed into the back door, his body barely holding on as it started to give way. Bowser glanced at his son. "Watch and learn how you properly kill off your enemies!" Mario's friends gasped and ran to stop him before he retreated into his shell. Bowser threw them off him as they toppled him.

"We're not going to let you kill our friend!" Yoshi snarled, whacking Bowser's stomach. "What good will that do?!"

Bowser began growing weary. He growled and went on a rampage. "Enough!" He kicked and punched everyone back as they flew several feet in the air before he charged in his shell and zoomed towards Mario. It bounced in the air, ready to crush Mario in the dirt.

Bowser Jr. gasped and ran to the plumber, grabbing him by the scruff as Bowser's shell crashed on the ground, the force blowing both of them a few feet away. Bowser Jr. stood up and ran to the plumber, who was coughing up blood. Everyone stood in silence as the koopa began shaking his body as the plumber fell silent. "No! Mario, please get up! Please!" His arm went limp in the koopa's lap. Bowser Jr. screamed, his shrill cries so fierce, they sent shivers down everyone's spines. There was a couple of moments of silence as the koopa wept, his tears touching the plumber's clothing.

Bowser walked to him. "I did this for you." He rested his shoulder on Bowser Jr.'s, but the young koopa whacked it away.

"You really thought I wanted him dead?! No, of course not! All I wanted was to resolve this peacefully, but no! You had to come and ruin the moment! We were this close to resolving the whole thing, but Kamek just had to bring you back to life and now you ruined everything!" The koopa ran away, screaming. A sad look flashed on the Koopa King's face.

A couple more moments passed before Peach broke the silence. She glared at Bowser. "I hope you're happy with this result. Now because of it, you upset your own son and killed my future husband! This is exactly what drove to Mario killing you! Why can't you brush away your feelings for me and move on?!" She walked out of the castle with her friends following behind her with drooping looks on their faces.

The Koopalings walked inside the castle. Ludwig gasped. "Lord Bowser? Is that you?" The Koopa King didn't respond. He walked to his master. "You know, we all heard what was going on and if I may be sincere, I think she is right. I think we all have gone too far and have been led astray because we let our emotions get the best of us. Also, if I may ask? How are you feeling about this result? Are you truly happy with this?"

The Koopa King shook his head. His face gave way as tears stroked down it. "No, I'm not. I didn't realize how much I upset my son. All I wanted was for us to get back at Mario and finally take over the Mushroom Kingdom. I thought with Mario gone, my son would be happy again, but it turned out to be the opposite. I don't like it when I upset my son. That just shows what a horrible father I am."

Kamek flew to him. "You will be if you don't set things right with him. Trust me. I had my ups and downs with him, but I tried to talk with him to resolve the issues." He sighed. "He's been through so much these past few months. He's just a kid. He deserves to grow up, but he had so much maturing to do, he hasn't felt the full aspects of his childhood yet. Let's go talk to him. I was the one who brought you back, so it's just my fault as it is yours, so come. We need to resolve this and also, maybe it's about time we changed our attitude about this whole ordeal." Bowser sighed and nodded. They exited the throne room and walked upstairs to his son's room where Bowser Jr. cried inside.

Bowser knocked on the door. "Son. Can I-"

"Go away!"

"Son, please. Let me talk to you. I beg you."

The door opened. The koopa sniffled. "W-What the h-heck do you w-want? Haven't you caused enough pain already? I just want to be left alone, so go away!"

"Please, son. Just let us in!"

"Us?" Kamek appeared next to Bowser.

"Look," the Koopa King said, "I know Kamek and I made some horrible decisions, but we want to make it up to you! I didn't realize how much I hurt you and-"

Bowser Jr. scoffed. "Oh, so now you realize it! It shouldn't take no more than a second to understand my words the moment they came out of my mouth! Are you really that ignorant of your son's feelings?!"

"I guess I was." The young koopa glanced at him in surprise. "All I wanted was to make you happy, and I thought that would happen by killing Mario and conquering the Mushroom Kingdom that I would see my son smile again, but I was wrong. After everything Kamek told me about your adventures, I thought I could make you see a glimpse of hope again with Mario dead, but I know now that that's not happening. I'm so sorry for causing you so much pain. I just wish I can make it up to you."

Bowser Jr. fell silent for a couple moments. "Actually, there is a way. It's exactly what I said. We have to make peace. _You_ have to make peace. That means that you have to change your ways." Bowser stayed silent. "Please, Papa. I really want to end this suffering. I don't want anymore people getting hurt."

Bowser sighed. "OK, I'll try. I don't know if I'm going to like it, but I'll do it for you." Bowser Jr. smiled and hugged his father for a couple minutes. He scratched his head. "Now I have a question, how exactly are we going to make peace with them?"

After they were done, Kamek had an idea. "I've got it! We need to head to Peach's Castle. Grab Mario's body while you're at it. I'll explain along the way." The other two shrugged and nodded and head towards Peach's Castle with Mario's body in hand.

Wario glanced at them, still tied up. "Hey, do we still get our money?"

"Shut up!" they hissed.

**Peach's Castle**

"There. There," Toadsworth said as Peach cried in his lap, holding the same picture that she had when Mario ran away. "I'm so sorry for you. I know you and Master Mario had such big plans, but Bowser had to come and ruin it. I'm so sorry, my dear." The rest of her friends bowed their heads in silence as they gazed upon the picture of Mario hanging upon the wall.

"We're-a gonna miss you, bro," Luigi said. "May you find have bundles of spaghetti where you go."

They had a couple moments of silence for the great Mushroom Kingdom hero, who always protected the kingdom even though some moments didn't show it, but all he did was for Peach and her kingdom. The doors swung open as Bowser and his troops entered with Bowser Jr. carrying Mario's body. Toadsworth gasped. "How dare you come here, especially with Master Mario's body! Seize them at once!"

"Please!" Bowser Jr. cried. "We don't want to fight!"

"Then what other matters have brought you here? If it's capturing Peach, her friends certainly won't let that happen!"

Peach stood up, walking to Bowser Jr. "What are you guys doing here? I'm done with your mischief, so please, go away and never return."

Bowser Jr. fell to his knees. "Please, we all came here for was to make things right!"

"How exactly? I know you want peace, but you're not the leader anymore, and I know that Bowser is too stubborn to listen to my words, so, tell me how exactly are you guys going to establish peace?"

"By bringing him back to life." Peach turned to Bowser. He sighed. "Yes, you heard me right, princess. I know now that I can't have you, so on my word, Kamek will bring him back to life just as he did to me, and hopefully we will be on the right track."

The princess scratched her chin. "So, you think that bringing Mario back to life, peace will spread over the land?"

The Koopa King shook his head. "No, but I want to try to be good. I couldn't stand the pain and suffering I caused my son, so I will try to make peace with you."

Peach huffed. "Is it just because of that reason that you want to make peace? Surely, there must be another reason that you want this than to just make your son happy, am I right?"

"Don't test my patience, princess," Bowser growled. "I am only offering this opportunity once. Take it or leave it."

"Hey, I'm just saying. If you really want to work, I need to hear it from your own lips that you want this personally."

The Koopa King sighed. "Fine. I want to make peace for my own sake as well. I'm sorry for causing your people so much pain and I want to make things right."

Peach smiled. "That's more like it. Now, keep to your word."

Bowser nodded. He glanced at Kamek. "Do it." The magikoopa nodded and twirled his wand at Mario's body, causing it to glow as all it's scars and cuts began to heal. The glow faded as Mario gasped for breath.

"Mamma Mia, where am I?!" He glanced around and Peach waved at him. "Peach!" he cried. "Thank you so much for bringing me back!"

She shook her head. "It wasn't me." She pointed to Kamek and Bowser.

"You brought me back?! But why?! I thought you wanted me dead!"

"I did," Bowser admitted, "But the truth is, I couldn't see you, Peach, or my son in pain anymore. Peach is one of the main reasons why I decided to have you brought back to life. I knew right then and there that I couldn't have her anymore, so after she left, my dreams of domination vanished in an instant. Now, I see the only way moving forward is I have to push my feelings aside for her and move on, and if that is making peace with you guys, then so be it."

Mario smiled. "It's-a about time I heard those words come out of your mouth! Finally, all this fighting can end."

Bowser sighed. "Look," Peach said, "I know you always wanted me as your wife, but that doesn't mean we can't be friends. I am going to be around, you know, to help you get set on the right path." She glanced at Mario. "And you, too. You both have been led astray from the right path for too long, so I am determined to set you both on the right path towards peace, and you know what the best part of all of this is?" The two glanced at her. "You both are going to work together! You two started this conflict, and now you two are going to finish it, in a peacefully way this time!" The two groaned. "Oh, come on! Don't give me that attitude! I'm doing what's best for both of our kingdoms! You're both leaders, so it's about time you two started setting a good example for one another!"

Bowser grumbled and crossed his arms. "Come on," Mario said. "I'm-a willing to go through this as much as you, so you might as well go along for the ride." He stuck out his hand. "What do you say, partner?"

The Koopa King sighed. "Fine, I'll go through it, but that doesn't mean this rivalry's over. When it comes to competing in sports and stuff, you have your name of targets on my list, plumber! Don't you ever forget that!"

"Ha! Ha! I don't think I ever will!" They both shook each other's hands. Everyone from both sides cheered for their respective leaders.

The cheers died down. "Yes!" Peach yelled. "This is so fantastic! Finally, we both can work together towards a happy ending after all!"

Bowser rolled his eyes. "Ugh, don't rub it in princess. Also, what you just said sounds very cheesy to me."

"Whatever. All that matters now is that you two acknowledging each other's desire to end this life-long conflict is the very first step towards peace. The next one is in a few months, we shall meet again where you two will sign an official treaty made by me to officially end the war! So, head back to your home and we shall see you in a couple months."

Bowser stretched his legs. "Alright, Chancellor Peach," he said before walking out with his minions following him.

Bowser Jr. ran and hugged her. "Thank you so much, Peach! I don't think I could ever repay you for what you've done!"

She smiled. "Of course. I'm so glad you're not leader of that kingdom anymore. You still have so much growing up to do. Enjoy your life to the fullest. Now, don't keep your father waiting." He nodded and ran down the hall, squealing joyfully. She sighed. "Man, it's so good to see him back to his childish self. It's never good to take up such a huge role in such a short age. That's too much stress. I hope he'll grow up to be a fine king with good in his heart."

"You know," Mario said, "if you want to have children of your own, we can make that happen. All we have to do is get married."

"You really mean that?"

"Of course I do. I mean, you still want me to become your husband and king of your kingdom, don't you?" She nodded. "Then what are we waiting for? We need to start planning and sending invitations out immediately! We only have a few months! We need to get started!"

"Don't-a worry, bro," Luigi said. "We'll all help out, too. Right, guys?" His friends cheered behind him.

Mario smiled. "Thank you. Now, let's-a get to it!"

* * *

_Thank you for reading this chapter. I have sad news to bear. Next chapter will officially end this story. I know. These characters have been through such a tremendous journey I have put them through and now it's all about to end. You know what they say: 'All good things must come to an end.' That certainly will happen next Tuesday. See you then._


	14. Chapter 14: A New Start

_Dbot here with the final chapter. These characters have been such a tremendous journey and now it's all about to end. Read below to find out._

* * *

Chapter 14: A New Start

Disclaimer: Mario is Nintendo's, not mine.

Mario yawned as he woke out of his bed to the smell of bacon. He walked outside his door. Luigi was busy cooking bacon, eggs, and waffles. "Bro!" he said. "You're finally awake!"

"Yup. Awake and ready to start getting ready for the wedding! I'm-a excited!"

"You should be. Though things are going to turn out different now that Bowser's coming along for the ride."

Mario nodded as his brother gave him the meal he cooked. "I-a know. Just yesterday we were enemies and now were going to become partners. It hasn't really sucked in yet."

"But it will," Luigi said. "Just give it a chance." Mario nodded. "Now, come on. Let's enjoy our last meal in this house." The two brothers ate in silence and got ready taking showers and printing and pressing their tuxedos. A couple hours later, the doorbell rang as Mario straightened his bowtie. He opened the door and Yoshi and Toad stood outside, wearing black-and-white tuxedos.

Toad smiled. "Wow, you two look amazing! You're so ready for this wedding!"

"Yeah," Mario said. He took off his classic hat. "I guess it's-a the last time I get to wear this hat. I'm going to miss this."

Who ever said you had to get rid of it?" Yoshi said. "Just because you're not going to be wearing it anymore doesn't mean you have to get rid of it. You'll always be Mario no matter what hat you wear."

Mario smiled. "Thank you, Yoshi." The dinosaur nodded. "Now let's-a go to the wedding!"

**Bowser's Castle**

"Take that! And that!" Bowser Jr. yelled as he and Larry were playing _Super Smash Brothers Ultimate_. He jerked the joy-con as he tried to have on-screen Bowser Jr. meteor smash Larry to end the one stock game.

"Hey!" Roy growled. "Easy with those! I paid a lot of money to get that Switch! Don't you dare break them!"

"Well, you aren't exactly easy with your own stuff, either," Wendy teased him. He glared at her. "What? I'm only telling the truth!" The pink Koopaling snorted.

Larry smirked and decided to pull a little prank. "Look! Lord Bowser's behind you!"

"Where?" Bowser Jr. looked around. This gave Larry enough time to push Bowser Jr.'s character past the blast line. The bandana koopa turned around and growled. "What?! You cheated, cheater!"

"What?! How can you cheat in a fight?" The doors swung open as Bowser entered the room, startling everyone. "I guess I wasn't wrong after all."

"Papa! What are you doing here?"

"It's time to head to Peach's Castle for the wedding," the Koopa King said. "Finish whatever game you're playing and head to the airships. It's time to go." He left the room.

"I'm not going to get used to that," Roy said, scratching his head.

Bowser Jr. smiled. "I will."

**Peach's Castle**

Activity buzzed in Peach's room as she as her bridesmaids were busy getting ready. "Thank you guys so much for helping me get ready," Peach said as Toads straightened her dress. "It means so much to me to have you all here."

"Anytime, girlfriend!" said Daisy. "Anything for you!"

Rosalina nodded. "Yes. We wanted to make sure that this day is wonderful for you and your special one. You both have overcome numerous obstacles because your love for each other is strong. You two deserve this." Peach nodded. A couple moments later, someone knocked on the door.

"I have it," Toadette said.

She opened to door to reveal Toadsworth standing outside. "You look beautiful. I hope you're ready for this, Peach."

"I am," she said. "I've been looking forward to this day. I hope it goes well."

"It will. Because you invited Bowser this time, it won't be ruined like last time. If you excuse me, I'll keep an eye out for Mario and the boys. See you later." He walked out to the front doors where Mario and the others stood. "Good. You all are here. Now, let's get ready."

Before they could move, a Toad ran to them. "Guys, the Koopa Troop is almost here!" Everyone walked to the front gates where Bowser and his troops landed their airships. They walked out and the Toad guards opened the gates, granting them entrance. As Bowser and his troops walked through Toad Town, he glanced sheepishly as the gazing Toads laid their eyes on them. Some Toads smiled and waved at them while others ran away at the sight of Bowser. He shook his head. Clearly, not all of them had accepted that they were evil.

Mario walked to him. "You're here!"

"Like I was going to miss this wedding," the Koopa King said. "Though I did have a bad time getting out of bed, I forced myself to come here so this conflict can end. There's no us standing around here. Let's get moving." Mario nodded and they walked to the castle grounds where the wedding guests from the first wedding chatted excitedly. As Mario and Luigi took their spots, the crowd rose as the groomsmen came down the aisle followed by the bridesmaids. Mario smiled as Peach walked down the aisle with Toadsworth next to her. Later, the preacher Toad came down the aisle and took his spot.

"You may be seated," he said. They all took their seats. "Thank you all for coming back today. Today is going to be a day that's going to go down in the history books because we're about to we're going to welcome a new king. Princess Peach has guided this kingdom through peace and prosperity throughout all these years ever since her parents disappeared from this Earth. Now, she welcomes some help as a new king is about to rise and rule this land, and I couldn't think of a better person to fill this role than Mario. Recently, this kingdom and the Koopa Troop have been at war with each other, but that is also going to change after the marriage with a treaty signing. Now, let us begin this ceremony with the vows. Peach, you may start."

The princess nodded and glanced Mario. "Mario, when you first asked to marry me and wanted to become king, I was so ecstatic. We were gonna see great change, but when the pressure got the best of you, you ran away. After you left, I felt like our love was fading away, but I never gave up." She held out here engagement ring. "I held on to this ring to serve as a reminder of our love and I never gave up on you or our love, so my vow to you is that I'm never gonna give up on you or our love."

Mario went on his knees. "I'm-a so sorry!" he cried. "I'm-a so sorry for running away! It's all my fault I caused this war in the first place! I indirectly killed a lot of people and I broke the very vow I made! I'm so sorry!" He cried for a couple minutes, causing the crowd to shed a few tears as they held a moment of silence for the fallen.

Peach sighed. "Mario, stand up." The plumber stood up, sniffling. "Mario, you have to stop blaming yourself for this. Yes, you caused this war, but guess what? You're here to set things right this time. You need to be strong because only by these experiences, you become stronger than ever before. You learn from your mistakes, accept what has been done, and move forward, and you know what? This whole experience made me stronger, too. Look, you can't fix the past, but you can change the future. You're here to end this suffering by signing the treaty. That takes guts. Just Bowser being here takes guts." The Koopa chuckled at her comment. "You need to be strong because your going to have struggles like these, and if you aren't strong, this kingdom will crumble. Will you do that for me?" Mario nodded. "Good. Now, the people need to hear it from you. Will you vow to be strong and to not fall under the pressure when it becomes too much? Answer me!"

"Yes!" Mario shouted in a loud and determined voice. The crowd cheered for him.

"Now will the ring bearer bring the rings?" said the preacher Toad. A small Toad walked forward with a pillow with two rings. The preacher Toad took one. "These rings symbolize the unity in a marriage. They also symbolize the partnership between Mario and Peach as they rule over this kingdom. As you saw with Peach, they can serve as a reminder of their love not only to each other, but to this kingdom as will in troubled times. Now, Peach, do you solemnly take this man to be your husband and do you promise to rule this kingdom with the utmost righteousness?"

"I do," she said.

"Good. Place the ring on his left middle finger." She did as she was told. "Mario do you-"

"I do!" Mario shouted.

The Toad gave him a puzzled look. "You didn't let me finish."

"You didn't-a have to. Everyone knows that all I want is her and to rule this kingdom."

The preacher Toad hesitated, but nodded. "Very well. Place the ring on her left middle finger." He did as he was told. "Now that they've declared their love for each other, it is time to crown them king and queen." He picked up one crown, pink with gold diamonds embedded. "Everyone, repeat after me." He placed the crown on top Peach's head. "All hail Queen Peach Toadstool!" The crowd repeated after him. He picked up a golden crown with blue and red diamonds in it. Mario sighed and took off his hat. "All hail King Mario Mario!" The crowd repeated after him. "I know delicate you both king and queen!" The crowd cheered for them as Mario stared proud at the crowd. After the cheers died down, the preacher Toad continued. "Now, it's time for the second part of today's ceremony. Peach, you have the floor."

She nodded and stood in front of the crowd. "Thank you everyone for coming to this special occasion. For years, Mario and Bowser have been fighting for control of both me and my kingdom. This conflict escalated so much, it caused Mario to kill Bowser and cause Bowser Jr. to start this war, but all of that ends today. Today, I ask you Mario and Bowser to come and sign a treaty that comes before you." Toadsworth pull out a stand that had a piece of parchment on it. "I have many hopes towards the future," she continued. "I hope that we all can live in peace, but all that rests in the hands of Mario and Bowser. You two, come forward." The two stood before her. "Do you two promise to end this war and long conflict. Do you swear to live in peace and work together to better not only each other's relationship, but both your kingdoms as well?"

"I do," they said.

"Then keep to your word by signing this treaty here." They took turns signing the treaty and shook each other's hands. "I now declare this war over!" The crowd cheered. Mario and Bowser looked at each other and smiled. "Now, let's go to the reception!"

* * *

Chatter filled the reception room as excitement filled the air. Pauline and her band performed their most famous song, Jump Up Superstar, to the crowd as they danced. Mushroom Kingdom citizens danced and chatted with Koopa Troop members. Mario and Bowser watched the action from afar. "Wow," Bowser said. "I never thought I'd see my troops dance with your's. I mean, my minions dancing with your friends? So weird."

"I-a know," Mario said. "It hasn't sunk in yet that we're not jumping at each other's throats for the first time in years. It's so weird."

"I'm never gonna get used to it."

"Well, just give it time and it might." Bowser shrugged. "So," Mario continued, "What's going to happen to your minions now that this war is done?"

"What do you think? They're gonna remain my servants. Otherwise, how am I gonna get service around my castle?"

"Well, don't you think they deserve more than that like free will or something? A chance for them to speak their mind?"

Bowser snorted. "You really think my minions want free will? They're my devoted followers! They've been following my orders for years! There's no way they're gonna just leave me for free will. That's like me telling them they're getting kicked out for not being useful anymore. That would be dumb."

Mario sighed. "Fine, but that doesn't mean I can't give you suggestions. Just think about it." Bowser just shrugged.

"Hey!" a voice yelled. Mario and Bowser glanced around in confusion. "Over here!" Wario and Waluigi walked to them. "Hey!" Wario hissed. "You didn't give us our reward! This war is done! We did our part. Now give us what we deserve!"

Bowser rolled his eyes. "Apparently you two can't tell when you're being deceived."

Waluigi scratched his head. "What are you talking about?"

"I'm telling you I don't have the money! You really think I did? You guys are fools! I can't believe how easily gullible you two were! I just used you for my own personal gain!" The koopa laughed.

Wario growled. "How dare you!" He swung a fist in the air, trying to hit him, but Mario blocked his lunch and punched the obese plumber in the chest.

"Don't you dare hurt my friend!" he snarled. The two laughed. "You dare laugh at your new king?!"

They laughed even harder. "What? You? King? Ha! I don't believe that for a second! You're never fit to be king! You'll always be a skinny plumber for life!"

"You dare insult my husband?" They turned around to see Peach glaring at them. "I have you know that he is your new king, so don't you dare insult him."

"Oh, yeah? What's he gonna do to us? Nothin', that for sure!"

Don't be too sure on that," Mario said. "Whenever you believe it or not, I am your new king. You weren't even there to see it." He looked at Bowser. "That reminds me. Why were they with you in the first place? What sort of 'personal gain' could you get from these two?"

The Koopa King crossed his arms. "Shouldn't it be obvious?"

Peach gasped. "You're not saying-"

"OK, fine! I used them to spy on you! That's how I knew about your first wedding! There, I said it!"

"You idiot!" Wario growled. "I thought that was supposed to stay between you and us! I'm gonna clobber you for saying that!"

"Don't you even!" Mario hissed. "For interference with the wedding, I'm going to strip you of all the money you stole to be used for the reconstruction projects. Then, you will give back to this kingdom by doing five years of doing community service."

The Wario brothers got on their knees. "No!" Wario cried. "You can't that our money! It's rightfully ours!"

"It was-a never yours to begin with! You stole it from people who needed it! Now, that is the last time I'm going to hear about this! Guards, take them away and find out where they're hiding the money." Two guards nodded and grabbed them by the scruff.

"You haven't seen the last of me! I'll make sure I'll reclaim what's rightfully mine!"

"I sure hope you mean ours!" Waluigi yelled as they disappeared.

Peach sighed with relief. "Now that's done with, what were you guys doing?"

"Mario was telling me how to run my kingdom, mentioning things like giving my minions free will," Bowser said, pointing to Mario.

"Because that's what-a good friends do," the new king said. "I know I have boundaries, but that doesn't mean I can't give you suggestions."

Peach smiled. "Mario, you've grown to be so wise, but you know what'll be even better? If we start repairing the damage caused by the war. A lot of people died, and we need to do our job of giving back by rebuilding houses, giving food, water, and our condolences to our people. All that you said can wait, don't you think?"

Mario nodded. "You're-a right. We should do that first. I've got some people to greet." He looked at Bowser. "See you later, friend." He walked away with Peach.

"See you, too." The Koopa chuckled. "This might not be so bad after all." He went to go spend time with his son while thinking of the bright future ahead.

* * *

_Thank you all so much for reading this story all the way through. With views, favorites, and follows, it has meant so much to me for people to take an interest in my story. Thank you for all the reviewers leaving comments and constructive criticism. It has helped me improve this story in one way or another. Now I have some good news: I have decided to write a sequel to this story as I think this story has so much potential and I have many great ideas for it, so don't expect it to come out for a while. Keep an eye out on my profile for any updates on the sequel. Now, I would like to wrap up this author's note with a fun fact about the title. Throughout this story, I have created a motif that the hero and the villain do similar things to each other like Mario and Bowser wanting Peach and killing each other, etc. Based on this, I decided to base the title on the saying, 'like father, like son.' I know this is a short story, but I wanted to make a good story with a satisfying ending that was under 100,000 words. See you all whenever the sequel comes out!_


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